In good news for Indian kabaddi, the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) has confirmed that the ban on the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) will be lifted by next month. IKF President Vinod Kumar Tiwari announced that the ban will be removed after the executive council meeting.
The issue began in 2019 when the Delhi High Court appointed retired judge Justice Garg as an administrator. This was in response to the appointment of former federation chief Janardhan Singh Gahlot as ‘Life President’ and his wife as the current president. Garg was given the task of conducting fair elections and transferring responsibilities to the newly elected officials.
After several delays, elections were finally held in December 2023, with Vibhor Vineet Jain elected as president and Jitendra Thakur as general secretary. However, Justice Garg withheld the results due to a pending court petition. The IKF waited for six months but saw that the elected body was not running daily operations. As a result, IKF President Tiwari wrote to PT Usha, head of the Indian Olympic Association, about rule violations, leading to the ban. Indian officials then took the matter to the Supreme Court.
On February 6, the Supreme Court ruled that Justice Garg must hand over administration to the elected members. The new AKFI office bearers have now taken charge and begun working from their office at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. This update has been communicated to the IKF, and President Vinod Tiwari has confirmed that they are aware of the developments.
Lifting the ban was expected since India is the heart of world Kabaddi and an essential part of every tournament. The Supreme Court of India accepted the request of two players, Priyanka and Pooja, allowing them to compete in the Asian Kabaddi Championship in Iran, where India won the trophy.
The AKFI also recognized the IKF’s objection to the so-called Kabaddi World Cup held in Birmingham last week. Fans are now relieved and excited to see India back in the World Championships, ready to continue their dominance in the sport.
