The newly elected Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has been suspended by the Centre till further orders. Sanjay Singh, a close aide to BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, was chosen head of the organization that governs wrestling in India last week. Olympic medalist Sakshi Malik declared her retirement from wrestling after Singh’s loyalist was elected.
According to a source, the new entity did not follow the WFI constitution. According to the source, the federation was not terminated, but rather suspended until further notice.
“Sanjay Kumar Singh, newly-elected president of WFI announced on 21.12.2023, the day he was elected as president, that U-15 and U-20 nationals for Wrestling will take place in Nandini Nagar, Gonda (UP) before the end of this year. This announcement is hasty, without giving sufficient notice to wrestlers who are to take part in the said nationals and without following the provisions of the constitution of WFI. As per clause 3 (e) of preamble of constitution of WFI, object of the WFI, among others, is to arrange holding of Senior, Junior and Sub Junior National Championships as per UWW Rules at places selected by the Executive Committee,” the source told PTI.
Sakshi Malik, at an emotional news conference last week, dropped her shoes on the table in protest of Sanjay Singh’s election and declared her decision to retire from wrestling. This occurred months after numerous famous wrestlers accused Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexually abusing female wrestlers and staged a week-long protest against him.
“We slept on the roads for 40 days, and people from all over the country came to support us.” “If Brij Bhushan Singh’s business partner and close aide is elected president of the WFI, I quit wrestling,” she had stated.
Brij Bhushan announced the dates for under-15 and under-20 nationals after Sanjay Singh’s election.
“Because of some issues, national or state level wrestling events were paused in the country for 11 months…We have announced to hold Under-15 and Under-20 wrestling events from 28th December to 31st December…If these tournaments are not organised within 31st, one complete year of the wrestlers will be affected,” Brij Bhushan told the media.
Malik tweeted yesterday why the nationals were being held in Gonda, which she called the area of Brij Bhushan.
“I have given up wrestling but I am worried since last night about those junior women wrestlers who are calling me and telling me that the junior nationals are going to be held from 28th and the new wrestling federation has decided to hold it in Nandani Nagar, Gonda. Gonda is the area of Brijbhushan. Now imagine in what circumstances the junior women wrestlers will go there to wrestle. Is there no other place in this country to host nationals other than Nandani Nagar?,” tweeted Sakshi on her X (formerly Twitter) account.
After Singh’s election, ace wrestler Bajrang Punia, who had been at the forefront of the wrestlers’ protests, said he would return his Padma Shri to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “I am returning my Padma Shri award to the Prime Minister,” he wrote on X.
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