NEW DELHI:
Sanjay Singh
has been elected as the new president of the
Wrestling Federation of India
(
WFI
), with his panel winning most of the posts in the delayed polls on Thursday.
Sanjay, who is the Vice President of the
UP Wrestling Association
, secured 40 votes compared to his rival Anita Sheoran's seven votes. The CWG gold medallist panel managed to win the post of secretary general, with Prem Chand Lochab defeating Darshan Lal.
The outcome of the elections comes as a disappointment to top wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, and Sakshi Malik, who had been pushing for a change of leadership.
They accused outgoing chief
Brij Bhushan
of sexually harassing women wrestlers, but their efforts to gather support fizzled out when their planned march was dispersed by the Delhi police.
Sanjay Singh, who is closely associated with Brij Bhushan and affiliated with the RSS, is expected to consult him in making policy decisions. This move indicates Brij Bhushan's continued influence in the sport.
Moreover, the election of the new executive council is set to pave the way for lifting the ban imposed by the United World Wrestling (UWW) on WFI.
The UWW had banned WFI for not conducting elections on time, resulting in Indian wrestlers competing as neutral athletes at the 2023 World Championships. The election process was delayed due to court cases but has now been given the green light by the Supreme Court, allowing for the formation of the new WFI governing body.
This development brings hope for Indian wrestling, as it signals the potential end to the ban and the reinstatement of Indian wrestlers' participation under their national flag.
World wrestling body suspends Wrestling Federation of India over failure to hold elections
(With inputs from PTI)
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