’Wrestlers who want to do politics...’: Brij Bhushan Singh aide Sanjay Singh elected new WFI president
Sanjay Singh is a close confidante of former Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing sexual harassment charges
Sanjay Singh was elected as the next president of the Wrestling Federation of India on Thursday. He is known to be a close confidante of sexual harassment accused Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. He won most of the votes in the delayed polls, as outgoing chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh gained indirect control over the sports body.
Singh garnered 40 votes against the seven that his rival Anita Sheoran got in the WFI elections held on Thursday. The one-sided victory of Sanjay Singh has come at a time when top wrestlers like Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, and Sakshi Malik are seeking to keep Brij Bhushan's influence away from WFI.
The outcome of the polls is seen as a setback for Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, and Sakshi Malik, whose protest against Brij Bhushan has come to nought as they could not get the fraternity behind them despite aggressively pushing for a change of guard.
Who is Sanjay Singh, the new WFI president?
Vice President of UP Wrestling Association, Sanjay Singh has close links with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and hails from Varanasi. He is known to have close ties with Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Given the tremendous interest the outgoing chief has in the sport, it is expected that Sanjay Singh will consult him in policy decisions, reported PTI. His participation in the election was opposed by the wrestlers, who had earlier protested against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
After winning the election, Sanjay Singh gave a clear message to the wrestlers who were protesting against Brij Bhushan earlier.
"National Camps (for wrestling) will be organised. Wrestlers who want to do politics can do politics, those who want to do wrestling will do wrestling," he told ANI.
The protesting wrestlers, who staged a sit-in against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, had accused him of sexually harassing women wrestlers, including juniors. Though they managed to mobilise huge support from different sections of society, the protest fizzled out the day they planned a march towards the new parliament building on May 28 when Delhi police removed all the protesters from Jantar Mantar for rioting.
The wrestlers had officially ended their protest on June 7, when Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur assured them that none of the family members of Brij Bhushan would be allowed to contest the WFI elections.
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Business NewsSportsSports News’Wrestlers who want to do politics...’: Brij Bhushan Singh aide Sanjay Singh elected new WFI president
First Published:21 Dec 2023, 03:05 PM IST
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