On Thursday, 21 December, Sanjay Singh became the new Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president. A close aide of former chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, he defeated 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Anita Sheoran by a landslide 40-7 margin.
Sanjay's appointment ends the tenure of Brij Bhushan, against whom allegations of sexual harassment were levied during a protest led by Indian wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat. According to Delhi Police's chargesheet, the Bhararitya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Kaiserganj faces prosecution for sexually harassing, molesting, and stalking female wrestlers.
Let's check out how everyone reacted after the results were declared:
"Politicians Will Be Answered in the Field of Politics": Sanjay Singh
The newly elected WFI chairman addressed the ongoing concerns in the Indian wrestling community, particularly concerning top wrestlers and said, "It is obvious to feel good because truth has won over lies".
Those who want to be wrestlers, they can come wrestle. Those who want to be in politics are free to do so. But politicians will be answered in the field of politicsSanjay Singh
Speaking about his future plans, Singh said, "Now we will conduct the Nationals. We have Olympics coming up, so we need to ensure another year doesn’t go to waste. I will conduct camps."
'Dabdaba to Rahega', Claims Ousted Chief Brij Bhushan
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, ex-WFI President accused of sexual harassment by prominent Indian wrestlers, stood firm in his assertion that “dabdabad to rahega”.
"A message has been given. Every akhaada (wrestling academy) in the country is bursting firecrackers. Dabdabaa tha, dabdabaa rahega!Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh
"I want to give the credit of victory to the wrestlers of the country and the electors. I want to thank the government as well. The elections were done on the instructions of the Supreme Court... the Centre went ahead to make sure elections happened and a non-partisan person was chosen as president," Brij Bhushan added.
"This 'grahan' (eclipse) of 11 months on wrestling is over. Within 10 days, the landscape of wrestling will change again and we will perform in the Olympics the way people want us to," he further said.
I Will Quit Wrestling: Sakshi Malik
Rio Olympics bronze medalist Sakshi Malik, who had complained about Sanjay Singh's candidature, the current president of the WFI, said she would quit wrestling if the 'right-hand man' of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh holds the position.
"We fought wholeheartedly. If the President is someone like Brij Bhushan, somebody who is his business partner and his right-hand man, then I'll quit wrestling," said Sakshi in a press conference.
We slept for 40 days on the roads. I would like to thank the innumerable people of our country who came to support us during the protests earlier this year. We wanted a female president, but that did not happen.Sakshi Malik
Disappointed Because Sports Minister Didn’t Fulfil Promise: Bajrang Punia
Wrestler Bajrang Punia, too, expressed disappointment on Singh's election and said that he doesn't believe the daughter of the country will ever get justice.
Our fight was the truth, our fight was for our sisters and daughters. After what happened at the elections, I don't think our daughters will ever get justice, because the system is working to break them.Bajrang Punia
"We had met the Sports Minister earlier, who promised us that no one with close ties with Brij Bhushan will be contesting elections. It’s unfortunate that the promise was not fulfilled," he further added.
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