"I Quit": Wrestlers Weep After Controversial Candidate Wins Key Poll

Shortly after an aide of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh succeeded him in the top post in elections held today, Olympic medallist and ace wrestler Sakshee Malikkh declared that she is quitting the sport.

Sanjay Singh is a long-time aide of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was WFI chief for 12 years. A six-time BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh had to step aside after top wrestlers, including Ms Malikkh, accused him of sexually harassing women wrestlers.

In today's elections, Sanjay Singh won 40 out of 47 votes. Commonwealth Games gold medallist Anita Sheoran, the protesting wrestlers' choice for the post of WFI president, got just seven votes.

The country's top wrestlers, Ms Malikkh, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia expressed their disappointment at the results.

Breaking into tears during an interaction with the media, Commonwealth and Asian Games Gold medallist Vinesh Phogat said, "Now that Sanjay Singh has been elected chief of the federation, women wrestlers will continue to face harassment." Ms Phogat said she has "no clue how to find justice in the country". "The future of our wrestling career is in the dark. We do not know where to go," she said.

Mr Punia, an Olympic bronze medallist, said it is unfortunate that the "government's promise to us was not fulfilled". "We are not linked to any party, we did not come here for politics. We were fighting for truth, but today an aide of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has become the WFI president," he said.

Ms Malikkh said they had wanted the wrestling body to get a woman chief. "But that did not happen," she said. "We fought, but if the new president is Brij Bhushan's aide, his business partner, then I quit wrestling," the Olympic bronze medallist said, putting her boots on the table. 

In January this year, the three wrestlers led a huge protest at Jantar Mantar, accusing Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexually harassing several wrestlers and demanding action against him.

They called off their protest after the government ordered a probe. The wrestlers were also assured that no aide or relative of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh would be allowed to contest the next polls of the wrestling body. While Brij Bhushan's son Prateek and son-in-law Vishal Singh did not enter the poll contest, his aide Sanjay Singh's nomination was cleared.

Sanjay Singh has earlier served as vice-president of the Uttar Pradesh wrestling body. He was part of the WFI's last executive council and its joint secretary since 2019.

Following his victory in today's elections, Sanjay Singh said it was a win of truth over lies. "They levelled such allegations against a person whose character does not have a place for those traits," he said. On a question on whether he is close to the BJP MP, Sanjay Singh said, "Of course, no doubt I am close to him." Asked about concerns of a section of wrestlers about how the federation would function now, he said, "There will be no injustice against any woman wrestler."

On Sanjay Singh's victory, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh told news agency ANI, "I want to give the credit of victory to the wrestlers of the country and the secretary of WFI. I hope that after the formation of the new federation, wrestling events will resume."

The process for the WFI election began in July, but court cases kept delaying it. This led to the international wrestling body suspending WFI. The Supreme Court recently set aside a stay imposed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, clearing the decks for the polls.