New Delhi, 24 Dec: Top sportsmen hailed the Sports Ministry’s decision to suspend the newly elected management of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) but said that the measure was too late.
They said that the Centre should have intervened sooner and taken serious action against WFI for breaking the regulations of the sporting body.
The newly-elected WFI, led by Sanjay Singh, a supporter of sex-harassment accused Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, made a rushed announcement of organising Under-15 and Under-20 nationals without giving wrestlers adequate notice, which violates the WFI’s constitution.
Geeta Phogat, an Olympian and wrestler, stated on X that she is certain wrestlers would finally receive justice.
“The Wrestling Federation of India has been suspended by the Sports Ministry. Despite the fact that it is late, there is still hope that wrestlers will receive justice,” Phogat added.
Vijender Singh, the first Indian boxer to win Olympic gold, who has been supporting the wrestlers’ struggle against Brij Bhushan, believes the Centre should have slammed the door on the WFI far sooner.
“They forced a woman to give up wrestling, a man to return his Padma Shri, and now the wrestling federation has been suspended. Action should have been taken sooner,” said Vijender Singh, a Congress politician, in a post on X.
Two elite wrestlers, Bajrang Punia and Virender Singh, have voiced their desire to return the Padma Shri in protest of Brij Bhushan’s brazen display of power and influence.
Wrestler Sakshee Mallikh declared her retirement from the sport in protest at the election of the Brij Bhushan loyalist.
It is worth mentioning that the Sports Ministry has suspended the newly constituted Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), led by Sanjay Singh. The action has been initiated due to concerns about transparency and other factors.
Sanjay Singh, the recently elected President of the WFI, stated that the U-15 and U-20 Nationals will be held in Gonda.
Sanjay Singh was elected President of the WFI on Thursday, after his panel easily won the majority of the positions in the postponed elections, as outgoing leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh allegedly obtained indirect control of the sporting body.
Sanjay, the UP Wrestling Association Vice President, received 40 votes, easily defeating his challenger Anita Sheoran, who received only seven votes.
The results of the elections were a source of major disappointment for wrestlers such as Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, and Sakshi Malik, who felt that their protest against Brij Bhushan had come to naught because they were unable to rally the wrestling fraternity behind them despite aggressively pushing for a change of guard, as now a close associate of the BJP MP is at the helm once again.
