New Delhi, Dec 21 In the aftermath of Sanjay Singh's resounding victory in the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections, a seismic shift echoed through the wrestling community.
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, ex-WFI President accused of sexual harassment by prominent Indian wrestlers, stood firm in his assertion that “dabdabad to rahega”.
Sanjay Singh's triumph with 40 out of 47 votes, defeating Commonwealth Games Gold medallist Anita Sheoran, sparked controversy. Wrestlers, including Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Vinesh Phogat, who had fervently protested against Brij Bhushan, rallied behind Sheoran. Despite their efforts, Singh's win signaled a continuation of the existing leadership.
Brij Bhushan, unfazed by the allegations against him, proclaimed the victory as a triumph for the country's wrestlers. He expressed hope that the wrestling activities, halted for 11 months during the protests, would now resume under the new leadership.
"A message has been given. Every akhaada (wrestling academy) in the country is bursting firecrackers. Dabdabaa tha, dabdabaa rahega! 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 said.
"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 added
In a surprising turn of events, Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik, visibly disheartened by the election outcome, symbolically put her wrestling boots on a table during a press briefing and declared her departure from the sport. Her dramatic exit underscored the disappointment among wrestlers who had envisioned a woman leading the federation.
Sakshi Malik lamented the absence of female representation at the federation's helm, stating, "We fought, but if the new president is Brij Bhushan's aide, his business partner, then I quit wrestling."
The wrestling community now grapples not only with the implications of the election but also with the departure of a celebrated athlete, signaling a challenging chapter for the future of Indian wrestling.
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