In a letter to UIDAI CEO Saurabh Garg on June 18, WFI president Sanjay Kumar Singh noted that the federation had observed multiple cases of wrestlers allegedly diminishing their age through alterations in their date of birth records, a concern that arose during a recent age-verification initiative.
The federation highlighted that the issue became particularly evident during the U-17 National Open Ranking Wrestling Tournament held in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, from June 6 to 8. WFI disqualified approximately 500 wrestlers for being overage, while several registered competitors failed to show up amidst the verification process.
To verify the eligibility of participants in age-group competitions, the federation had mandated Aadhaar-linked authentication along with birth certificates and additional documents.
“During the verification process, officials reviewed Aadhaar Update History records found on the UIDAI portal and identified instances where dates of birth were allegedly altered, in some cases by four to five years,” WFI stated in the letter, which PTI accessed.
The federation further claimed that some wrestlers who had modified their dates of birth were now trying to erase or hide their Aadhaar update histories. It urged UIDAI to guarantee that historical records related to date-of-birth changes are permanently kept and accessible for verification purposes.
Calling for more comprehensive reforms, the WFI asked UIDAI to consider implementing measures that would restrict date-of-birth changes after a considerable delay, barring exceptional and thoroughly validated cases.
“This matter is critical for ensuring transparency and preventing age fraud in sports,” stated the federation in the letter.
This initiative is part of a broader effort by sports authorities to address age manipulation in junior level competitions.
Earlier this year, the Sports Ministry announced the National Code Against Age Fraud in Sports, 2025, introducing stricter protocols for age verification across various sports.
On June 4, the WFI suspended five wrestlers, including U20 Asian Championship trials winner Deepanshu, for four years after discovering that their birth certificates were forged during a verification exercise.
Age fraud has been a longstanding issue in Indian sports, particularly in wrestling, boxing, and football, where athletes competing in younger age categories can secure a notable competitive advantage.
The WFI has enhanced its verification processes by making Aadhaar-based authentication a fundamental part of the registration procedure for age-group competitions, alongside the required submission of birth certificates and other supporting documents.
