Sanjay Kumar Singh was named the president of the Wrestling Federation of India [WFI] after the delayed elections were held in New Delhi on Thursday. Singh, a close aide of his predecessor Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh - received 40 votes, thereby winning by a majority margin. The other applicant, former India wrestler, Anita Sheoran received seven votes.
Does Sanjay Singh have any association with the previous regime?
Yes. Singh has been involved in the wrestling fraternity for a long time and is the vice president of the Uttar Pradesh Wrestling Association. He has been associated with the WFI for over a decade - he was part of the previous executive council and was also named the joint secretary in 2019.
#WATCH | Newly elected president of the Wrestling Federation of India #SanjaySingh arrives at the residence of former #WFI chief #BrijBhushanSharanSingh
(📹: ANI) pic.twitter.com/kTxb7vD22l
- Hindustan Times (@htTweets) December 21, 2023
Singh's social media accounts highlight his close ties to Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and he had voiced his support for the latter during the wrestlers' protest.
What has Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said about Sanjay Singh?
The former WFI president has backed Singh to the hilt and was confident that he would be elected as the president. Speaking to PTI, he said, "11 months later, today is the election. In the election, Sanjay Singh, in a way, can be described as a representative of the old federation. Sanjay Singh is sure to win the election, ensuring the formation of a new federation for the children. I urge them to create a conducive sports environment as soon as possible and compensate for any losses."
What have the protesting wrestlers said about him?
The protesting wrestlers have vehemently opposed Singh's candidature for the president's post. Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik met the Sports Minister last week to air their grievances about Singh's nomination due to his close ties with the former president.
Speaking to ESPN India on Wednesday, Sakshi Malik had said, "Sanjay Singh is a close associate of Brij Bhushan. The Government has promised us that neither Brij Bhushan nor any of his aides will hold positions in the WFI. We are hoping for a neat and clean federation."
How does this result affect the wrestlers?
The results of the elections go against the demands that the protesting wrestlers had made to the Sports Minister back in June. They had requested that neither Brij Bhushan nor his associates would be able to stand for elections. However, Singh's election as the WFI president comes as a rude jolt to the wrestlers.
Sakshi had said, "We faced a lot of problems, but if we get a favorable decision tomorrow then we will forget all the struggles and feel that we have done something for the future of Indian wrestling. If we don't get a positive result, then we will forever remember those 40 days of protest. We'll feel as if humne kya galat kiya [what did we do wrong?] or what kind of tanashahi [dictatorship] country are we living in that they won't listen to us despite our protests. But we are hoping for the best, the government has promised us, and we hope they fulfil their promise."
Who was Singh up against in the election?
Singh's opponent was former wrestler Anita, who won gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Anita is currently employed as an inspector with the Haryana Police and is the only woman candidate in the 2023 WFI elections. She was also a witness in the sexual harassment case against Brij Bhushan.
The protesting wrestlers felt that only her appointment would end Brij Bhushan's dominance within the WFI.
Will the WFI's suspension be lifted, now that the elections have been conducted?
Ideally yes, the WFI's suspension should be lifted. As UWW president Nenad Lalovic told ESPN in October, "As soon as they have elections, the suspension will be lifted. There is no reason to keep the suspension. India is a huge wrestling country and every wrestler who will not compete because of these issues, it's a catastrophe for India and us."
What's next?
The protesting wrestlers have called for a press conference at 4pm, where they are expected to talk about their future course of action. When asked about the wrestlers' decision, Sanjay told NNIS, "Only those who want to do politics will host press conferences. The wrestlers have lost an entire year and we are only looking at the wrestlers' future. Those who look ahead will not host press conferences, those who want to do politics will."