New Delhi, December 29: The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has relocated its office from the residence of former president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in response to objections raised by the sports ministry. The ministry had recently suspended the newly-formed WFI panel, led by president Sanjay Singh, citing concerns about the office operating from Brij Bhushan's premises.
An anonymous source revealed, "The WFI will operate from a new address in New Delhi after vacating Brij Bhushan's premises."
The new WFI office is now situated in the Hari Nagar area of New Delhi. The sports ministry, in its letter suspending the WFI panel, mentioned that the federation's business was being conducted from premises controlled by former office bearers, including Brij Bhushan. This location is also linked to allegations of sexual harassment against players, which are currently under court scrutiny.
The ministry emphasized that the new body was operating under the "complete control of former (WFI) office-bearers," violating the National Sports Code. Notably, several prominent wrestlers, including Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, as well as World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat, have accused Brij Bhushan of sexual harassment. The case is actively being heard in the Delhi High Court.
Following Sanjay Singh's election as WFI chief on December 21, Sakshi Malik decided to retire from wrestling. Bajrang Punia returned his Padma Shri, and Vinesh Phogat decided to relinquish her Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award, expressing their objection to having any close associate of the BJP MP involved in running the federation.
In response to the ongoing controversy, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has established a three-member ad-hoc committee chaired by Bhupender Singh Bajwa, Chief of the Wushu Association of India, to oversee the affairs of the sport.