The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has called on the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to permanently preserve records of Aadhaar date-of-birth changes and limit such modifications after a significant period, except in exceptional and thoroughly verified cases. This move is part of the federation's ongoing crackdown on age fraud in wrestling.
Letter to UIDAI CEO
In a letter addressed to UIDAI CEO Saurabh Garg on June 18, WFI President Sanjay Kumar Singh highlighted multiple instances where wrestlers allegedly reduced their age by altering date-of-birth records. The issue came to light during a recent age-verification exercise conducted by the federation.
Incident at U-17 Tournament
The problem surfaced prominently during the U-17 National Open Ranking Wrestling Tournament held in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, from June 6 to 8. The WFI disqualified approximately 500 wrestlers for being overage, while several registered athletes failed to report for participation amid the verification process.
The federation had made Aadhaar-linked authentication mandatory, along with birth certificates and other documents, to verify the eligibility of participants in age-group competitions.
"During the exercise, officials examined Aadhaar Update History records available on the UIDAI portal and found cases in which dates of birth had allegedly been modified, in some instances by four to five years," the WFI wrote in the letter, accessed by PTI.
Efforts to Conceal Records
The federation also claimed that some wrestlers who had altered their dates of birth were now attempting to have their Aadhaar update histories removed or concealed. It requested UIDAI to ensure that historical records related to date-of-birth modifications are permanently retained and remain accessible for verification purposes.
Proposed Safeguards
Seeking broader reforms, the WFI asked UIDAI to consider adopting safeguards that would prevent changes to dates of birth after a substantial lapse of time, except in exceptional and thoroughly verified cases.
"The matter is of utmost importance in ensuring transparency and preventing age fraud in sports," the federation stated in the letter.
Background of Age Fraud in Sports
This move comes amid a wider push by sports authorities to tackle age manipulation in junior-level competitions. Earlier this year, the Sports Ministry notified the National Code Against Age Fraud in Sports, 2025, which lays down stricter mechanisms for age verification across all disciplines.
On June 4, the WFI suspended five wrestlers, including U20 Asian Championship trials winner Deepanshu, for four years after their birth certificates were found to be fake during a verification exercise.
Age fraud has long been a contentious issue in Indian sports, particularly in wrestling, boxing, and football, where athletes competing in younger age categories can gain a significant competitive advantage.
Strengthened Verification Procedures
The WFI has tightened its verification procedures by making Aadhaar-based authentication a key component of the registration process for age-group competitions, in addition to the submission of birth certificates and other supporting documents.
The federation's request to UIDAI underscores the need for robust mechanisms to preserve data integrity and prevent age fraud, ensuring fair play in sports.
