Brij Bhushan aide Sharan Singh elected WFI chief, Sakshi Malik quits wrestling | Sport-others News

With garlands draped around his neck, firecrackers bursting in the background and supporters chanting his name, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh flashed the victory sign for the cameras. Standing next to him was a beaming Sanjay Singh, Brij Bhushan’s ‘nominee’ who was elected president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Thursday, defeating former Commonwealth Games gold medall Anita Sheoran a margin of 40-7.
As celebrations erupted at Brij Bhushan’s MP bungalow near Jantar Mantar, the site of protests against him, wrestlers Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat broke down while addressing the media at the Press Club of India in New Delhi.
“He (Sanjay Singh) is Brij Bhushan’s right-hand man. He is more special to him than his own son. Now that he is president, the coming batch of women wrestlers will also fall prey,” Vinesh said.
Then, dramatically, Sakshi placed her wrestling shoes on the table and announced her retirement. “If Brij Bhushan Singh’s business partner and a close aide is elected as the president of WFI, (then) I quit wrestling,” she said.

The wrestlers underlined their disappointment with the government, claiming it couldn’t fulfill its promise to keep out Brij Bhushan’s family members and associates from the election process.
Brij Bhushan with the newly elected WFI chief Sanjay Singh on Thursday. (PTI)
Back in June, before the wrestlers called off their protests, Sports Miner Anurag Thakur had assured Sakshi, Vinesh and Bajrang Punia that wrestlers would have a big say in deciding who occupies the posts of president, general secretary and treasurer.
But from the contrasting emotions on display, it was clear who was the winner and who ended up as the loser in this saga.

While there was no immediate statement from the government on the remarks of the women wrestlers, an official said, “It is unfair of the wrestlers to say that the government should have interfered and ensured that the candidates selected the wrestlers win, because the government cannot interfere in the election of an autonomous body. Interference of the government leads to disqualification of the federation the world body, as per the Sports Code.”
“Today’s election paves the way for lifting of the suspension of the WFI the global wrestling body, United World Wrestling (UWW),” the official said.

The year that started with India’s champion wrestlers staging protests against Brij Bhushan, then WFI president, and accusing him of sexual harassment ended with the BJP MP’s close aide succeeding him.
“This isn’t my victory, this is the victory of the country’s wrestlers,” said Brij Bhushan who was found liable Delhi Police for prosecution for sexual harassment, molestation and stalking of women wrestlers.
He made the first remarks post-elections even before Sanjay Singh, the little-known sports adminrator from Varanasi who served as a joint secretary in the previous WFI adminration headed Brij Bhushan.

Moments before, at the Olympic Bhavan where the voting took place, Brij Bhushan’s son-in-law Vishal Singh – also a member of the erstwhile body – announced the results of the elections that saw Sanjay Singh and his panel winning nearly all positions comprehensively.
Almost on queue, Brij Bhushan’s son Prateek posted the images of his father and Sanjay Singh on social media with a caption, ‘dabdaba toh tha, dabdaba toh rahega (dominance was there, dominance will continue)’.
According to former WFI officials, Sanjay Singh’s association with wrestling began formally in 2008 when he was the drict president of the Varanasi association. A year later, when the Uttar Pradesh Wrestling Association was formed, Brij Bhushan was elected the president and Sanjay Singh was chosen the vice-president.
Sanjay Singh’s social media posts highlight his proximity to Brij Bhushan and during the protests, he frequently made statements in support of the BJP MP from Kaiserganj.

Handpicked Brij Bhushan, he now finds himself in the hot seat and will call the shots in a sport where India has won at least one medal in each of the last four Olympics.
Minutes after the election results were declared at the Olympic Bhavan in South Delhi, Brij Bhushan’s supporters chanted his name as Sanjay Singh, who was carried around 20-odd people on their shoulders, scrambled into an SUV to meet the outgoing president.
Brij Bhushan’s official residence also doubled up as the WFI office and is led Delhi Police as one of the places where he allegedly harassed women wrestlers.
When the newly-elected body meets, they will decide whether to move the office to another location, said Prem Chand Lochab, who was elected the secretary-general.
“It’s too early right now to discuss all these things. When he (Brij Bhushan) was there, his residence was the office (but) we will see now. Proper office and another set-up will be discussed the new body. We will find out the appropriate solution so that the environment will be conducive for all,” Lochab, secretary of the Railway Sports Promotion Board, told The Indian Express.
Lochab did not comment on Sakshi’s decision to quit wrestling but said they will ensure that the wrestlers are heard.
“My message to Bajrang and Vinesh is we will not let any grievances affect you. We will take care of their concerns as much as we can,” he said.
The WFI elections were to take place in August but were delayed because of court cases. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court set aside the stay on the elections the Punjab and Haryana High Court.