Brij Bhushan's aide Sanjay Singh becomes new WFI president
New WFI president: Former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's assistant Sanjay Singh was elected as the Wrestling Federation of India's (WFI) new president on Thursday.
After several postponements earlier in the year, the Wrestling Federation of India elections were held on Thursday, December 21. The vote was held earlier in the day in New Delhi, and the counting began shortly afterwards.
Sanjay Singh's panel received 40 votes, while the other panel received 7.
"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," Singh stated.
Sanjay previously served on the WFI's executive council. He has also been the national federation's joint secretary since 2019.
Meanwhile, wrestler Sakshi Malik breaks down after speaking at a press conference following the announcement of the results.
Wrestler Sakshi Malik, speaking about former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's aide Sanjay Singh being elected as the WFI's new president, said, "We have made demands for a woman president. Harassment wouldn't take place if the president were a woman. However, there was no participation of women earlier, and as you can see from the list today, not a single woman was given a position. We fought with all of our might, but the fight will go on. Wrestlers of the next generation must fight."
The WFI elections were originally scheduled for August 12. However, during a hearing on a petition in August, the Punjab and Haryana High Court extended the stay on the WFI elections until September 25. Elections to the federation that governs wrestling in the country were initially set for June of this year.
Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik met Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur earlier this month at his residence in the national capital to discuss the WFI elections.
Satyawart Kadian, Sakshi's husband and a wrestler himself, was also among those who approached the minister. The wrestlers told reporters after the meeting that they were assured that the government would keep its promise that no one related to or close to Brij Bhushan would be appointed to the WFI.
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