New Delhi, April 17 (IANS) Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elected its new office bearers as mandated by the government guidelines on age and tenure with the top four positions going to former international wrestlers.

Newly elected secretary general Raj Singh told IANS that the polls were held as per the guidelines issued by the sports ministry. Dushyant Sharma, 45, was elected the president.

"Elections were held in accordance with the government guidelines. It is for the first time that all four top positions will be taken up by former wrestlers," Singh told IANS.

Sharma, who hails from Jammu and Kashmir, defeated former secretary-general Kartar Singh by 41 to 34 votes in the race for the top spot. Eighty votes were cast.

Hamza-Bin-Omer was elected the vice-president while Raj Singh pipped I.D. Nanawati for the post of secretary general.

The new president, Sharma is said to be close to outgoing president G.S Mander.

"Since all of us have played the sport, it can only come in handy while running the federation," Raj Singh said.

Asked about the immediate plans of the federation, Singh added: "Our immediate aim is to prepare the wrestlers for the 2012 London Olympics and in order to do that we have sent a letter to the sports ministry for sending the to the Asian Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan next month."