Sanjay Singh was elected as the new President of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Thursday. Sanjay is a close aide of former WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh who was accused of sexual harassment.
Shortly after this announcement, ace wrestler and Olympic medalist Sakshee Malik announced that she will quit wrestling as a way protest to the decision of electing Sanjay Singh as the new chief of the wrestling body.
Sanjay Singh is touted to have a long term association with the former chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Brij Bhushan who also happens to be a six-time MP from UP had to quit the post after some top wrestlers of the country accused him of sexual harassment.
The election to choose the new chief of the wrestling body was held today. Sanjay Singh apparently won 40 out of 47 votes. Standing against him was Anita Sheoran, a Commonwealth Games gold medalist for the post of the WFI chief. However, Anita managed to get just seven votes.
Soon after the results were out, country top wrestlers including Sakshee Malikkh, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia expressed their grave disappointment with the results.
While addressing a media conference, Commonwealth and Asian Games Gold medalist Vinesh Phogat broke into tears and said, ‘Now that Sanjay Singh has been elected chief of the federation, women wrestlers will continue to face’.
She added, ‘The future of our wrestling career is in the dark. We do not know where to go’.
At the same time Bajrang Punia said, ‘it is unfortunate that the “government’s promise to us was not fulfilled. We are not linked to any party, we did not come here for politics. We were fighting for truth, but today an aide of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has become the WFI president’.
