(WFI) Wrestling Federation of India Suspended

After Sanjay Singh became the president, veteran wrestler Sakshi Malik announced her decision to quit wrestling during a press conference. Following her, Bajrang Punia also returned the Padma Shri award. Additionally, para-athlete Veerendra Singh from Haryana declared the return of his Padma Shri award.

On Sunday (December 24), the Indian Ministry of Sports made a significant decision. It suspended the newly appointed Indian Wrestling Federation. This move came after the removal of BJP MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh from the position of the federation’s president earlier this year due to opposition from wrestlers. Subsequently, elections were held, and Sanjay Singh, a close associate of Brijbhushan Sharan, emerged victorious. After Sanjay Singh assumed the presidency, Sakshi Malik announced her retirement during a press conference, followed by Bajrang Punia returning the Padma Shri award. In addition to them, para-athlete Veerendra Singh from Haryana also declared the return of his Padma Shri award.

The government suspended the wrestling federation due to non-compliance with regulations. The newly elected body had hastily announced the organization of the under-15 and under-20 national competitions without giving sufficient notice to the wrestlers. An official from the Ministry of Sports stated, “We have not dissolved the federation but suspended it until further orders. They need to follow the proper procedures and rules.”

Sources revealed the reasons behind the suspension. According to them, the newly elected president of the Wrestling Federation, Sanjay Kumar Singh, announced the national competitions for under-15 and under-20 on the same day he was elected. This announcement was made hastily. According to section 3 (e) of the WFI constitution, the purpose of WFI is to organize senior, junior, and sub-junior national championships in accordance with the UWW rules on venues selected by the executive committee, among other things.

Bajrang Punia: A Correct Decision

Reacting to the suspension of the wrestling federation, Bajrang Punia, an experienced wrestler active in the protest, commented, “This is the right decision. Those involved in the harassment of our sisters and daughters should be completely removed. Many allegations were made against us. Politics was involved. When we win medals, we belong to the country. We athletes never see caste. We eat together in the same plate. We sweat blood for our tricolor. No one works harder than soldiers and athletes. We were called traitors. We are not like that. We can take back the awards. We can regain respect.”

Sanjay Singh Received 40 Votes

In the wrestling federation elections, out of 15 contested positions, Brijbhushan-backed candidates won on 13. Sanjay Singh, the vice president of the Uttar Pradesh Wrestling Association, received 40 votes, while the reigning champion of the North Zone Games, wrestler Anita Sheoran, got seven votes against her. Anita had the support of protesting wrestlers Bajrang, Vinesh, and Sakshi. However, the recognized wrestlers of the protesting camp, the Railway Sports Promotion Board Secretary Premchand Lochar, and Haryana businessman Devendra Singh Kadian won in the positions of Secretary and Senior Vice President, respectively. Premchand defeated Darshan Lal 27-19, and Devendra defeated I.D. Nanavati 32-15.

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