The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has a new president as Sanjay Singh’s team won 13 out of the 15 positions in the much-delayed elections on Thursday. Sanjay Singh is seen as a supporter of former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was charged with abusing multiple female wrestlers, including juniors, sexually. Scroll down to read Sanjay Singh Becomes WFI’s New Chief.
Sanjay Singh Becomes WFI’s New Chief
Sanjay Singh’s family praised him and declared it the “triumph of truth” when he was chosen for the important position in WFI. According to Sanjay Singh’s mother, Gyanati Devi, he is “loving, compassionate, and kind” and has done a lot of good deeds for women and would do so in the future. She added that “all allegations were baseless” and mentioned that she knows Brij Bhushan.
Varanasi-born Sanjay Singh has held the position of vice president of the UP Wrestling Association. In the WFI chief poll, he received forty votes, compared to seven from his competitor and 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medalist Anita Sheoran.
The village has a heritage of wrestling matches, which our family has been hosting. We have been carrying on this practice since the days of our ancestors. Sanjay wrestled as well, according to his mother.
He would demonstrate that he is “true to the responsibility” that has been placed upon him, according to Sanjay Singh’s wife, Archana Singh.
“He is very calm and does his work with dedication,” she stated. Jigyasa, the daughter of Sanjay Singh, stated that her father has spent the last ten years involved in the wrestling community.
Sanjay Singh is the father of two girls.
A family member, Anuj Rai, claimed that Sanjay Singh won the WFI chief’s elections in a biased manner. “The win was won by one side only. This triumph is a clear jab in the face of the rivals,” Rai declared.
Sanjay Singh is connected to Brij Bhushan Singh and is an affiliate of the RSS. He is anticipated to confer with Brij Bhushan before making important policy choices.
Wrestlers Sakshee Malikkh, Vinesh Phogat, and Bajrang Punia—who had started a campaign against Brij Bhushan in January of this year—meanwhile expressed their displeasure with the voting results.
The three wrestlers, who they claimed had sexually harassed other female wrestlers, including juniors, became the public face of the demonstrations against the BJP MP.
Wrestling Federation Of India Controversy
This year, India’s top wrestlers held weeks-long sit-in protests in New Delhi to call for WFI President Brij Bhushan Singh to quit.
The 66-year-old, who is also a member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is now free on bail after being accused of stalking and sexual harassment.
Following the controversy, the federation’s leadership was dissolved, and new elections that were supposed to take place earlier this month were abruptly postponed indefinitely.
United World Wrestling stated in a statement late on Thursday that “the absence of a regularly elected president and a board does not comply with the UWW regulations and the conditions for membership.”
The statement also stated that Indian wrestlers will be permitted to compete in the Asian Games next month, but not under the Indian flag.
Singh has refuted the accusations against him and stated that he is the victim of a “conspiracy” to remove him from parliament. Singh is accused of approaching female athletes and requesting sexual favors.
He was the target of seven police complaints from female wrestlers, one of whom was a teenager. They accused him of following them, making lewd remarks, groping them with the intention of sex, and “outraging their modesty.”
