The much-awaited election of the Wrestling Federation of India concluded on 21 December with Sanjay Singh elected as President. Sanjay Singh defeated former grappler Anita Sheoran in this election. The ‘rebel’ wrestlers including Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik had supported Anita Sheoran. However, Sanjay Singh won with a decisive majority.
The protesting wrestlers held a press conference in the Press Club soon after Sanjay Singh was announced as the new President.
Wrestler Sakshi Malik announced that she is quitting wrestling. “We protested for 40 days. Many people came from faraway places and supported us through difficulties and criticism. If somebody like Sanjay Singh, who is a business partner and friend of Brij Bhushan Singh is elected as the new president, I am quitting wrestling.”
Vinesh Phogat stated, “It is a dark day, and the future of Indian wrestling is bleak. We don’t know whom we will go to with our complaints. We have not given up. We still hope for justice.”
Former WFI President and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh, who is facing charges of sexual harassment and misbehavior from the protesting wrestlers, has told the media that Sakshi Malik quitting wrestling his her decision and he has nothing to do with it.
After his victory, Sanjay Kumar Singh said, “Wrestlers who want to do politics can do politics, those who want to do wrestling will do wrestling. We will politically answer the wrestlers who want to do politics.”
In August this year, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) was suspended by United World Wrestling (UWW), the organisation that oversees wrestling, for failing to hold its elections on time. As a result, Indian wrestlers lost the right to play under the Indian flag at the coming World Championships.
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was asked to resign on January 20, after allegations of sexual harassment by wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Ravi Dahiya, Bajrang Punia, and his wife Sangita Phogat and Sakshi Malik and her husband Satyavart Kadian.