In a major crackdown on age fraud in Indian wrestling, more than 125 wrestlers have been disqualified from a national-level competition after alleged discrepancies were detected during a digital verification exercise conducted by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). The action comes as part of an intensified effort to ensure fair competition and prevent overage athletes from participating in age-restricted events.
The enforcement sweep represents one of the largest systemic anti-fraud operations executed during a domestic selection tournament.
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Digital Tracing Before the Under-17 Nationals
The controversy emerged ahead of the 2026 Under-17 Open Ranking National Tournament being held at Nandini Nagar in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda district. During document verification conducted a day before the competition, officials identified multiple cases involving suspected alterations in age-related records. Following the scrutiny, more than 125 freestyle male wrestlers were declared ineligible to participate.
Tournament regulations strictly stipulated that only wrestlers born in 2009 or later were eligible to compete. By analyzing document histories, authorities were able to determine exactly when modifications had been made and compare them with previous entries to enforce the cutoff.
Exposing Backdated Document Modifications
According to federation sources, the verification process relied heavily on Aadhaar-linked authentication. Officials used identity numbers to examine records and required one-time passwords (OTPs) sent to the athletes’ registered mobile numbers. This digital check enabled authorities to track the modification history of public documents, including updates to birth certificates and domicile papers.
The verification mechanism revealed instances where newly submitted birth certificates appeared inconsistent with earlier database footprints. The investigation found that several wrestlers had submitted revised certificates that differed from older entries, exposing athletes who exceeded the maximum age permitted for the under-17 category.
The OTP Refusal and Midway Departures
An unusual development during the verification process further raised concerns among officials. Several wrestlers reportedly declined to share the OTPs required for authentication and left the venue before completing the scrutiny procedure. While no official conclusion has been drawn solely from their refusal, authorities said such incidents prompted additional questions regarding the authenticity of certain records.
WFI officials indicated that the ongoing age-verification drive would not be limited to freestyle wrestling. Similar checks are scheduled for Greco-Roman and women’s wrestling categories before their respective competitions begin, and the number of disqualified athletes could increase as more records are examined.
International Success Contextualizes Domestic Cleanup
While the domestic wrestling community grappled with the controversy, Indian wrestlers delivered encouraging results on the international stage. At the Ulaanbaatar Open Ranking Series in Mongolia, Manisha secured the gold medal in the 57kg category, while Neha claimed the top podium finish in the 59kg division. Manisha defeated North Korea’s Sim Son in the final, while Neha overcame Pyol Hong of North Korea to capture gold. Neelam added to India’s medal tally by winning bronze in the 50kg category.
India has so far secured six medals at the tournament. In Greco-Roman wrestling, Sunil and Nitesh won gold medals in their respective weight categories, while Sumit earned a bronze medal, highlighting India’s strong international performance amid the administrative cleanup at home.
