After Sports Ministry suspends WFI, ex-chief Brij Bhushan says ‘done with wrestling’

After the Sports Ministry suspended the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), former chief of the apex wrestling body Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Sunday said he is “done” with the sport and that the newly-elected body will now take care of wrestling matters.

“Whatever has to be done with regards to wrestling in India, it has to be done by the new elected body,” Brij Bhushan told PTI. “I have nothing to do with the sport now. I have other responsibilities to focus now. I will be away from the politics of this sport,” the BJP MP from Kaiserganj in Uttar Pradesh said.

The Sports Ministry on Sunday suspended the newly-elected body of the WFI noting that the “newly elected body appears to be in complete control of former office bearers”.

The ministry accused the new WFI committee, headed by Sanjay Singh, a close aide of former chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, of showing ‘blatant disregard for the established legal and procedural norms’.

The WFI elections were held on December 21 with Brij Bhushan’s loyalist, Sanjay Singh, and his panel winning the polls by big margins, after the much delayed elections took place.

Soon after the appointment, Singh met Brij Bhushan at his residence, which also serves as the WFI office.

The BJP-led government has hit out at the arrangement, saying, “The business of the Federation is being run from the premises controlled by former office bearers”, which was not in conformity with the National Sports Code.

“Which is also alleged premises wherein sexual harassment of the players have been alleged and present the court is hearing the matter.”

Apart from this, Sanjay Singh’s decision to hold the under-15 and under-20 national championships would be held in Gonda, the backyard of Brij Bhushan, also irked the ministry.

“This announcement is hasty, without giving sufficient notice to wrestlers who are to take part in the said nationals and without following the provisions of the constitution of WFI,” the ministry noted.

Top wrestlers of the country, including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik have led an agitation since the start of this year against Brij Bhushan after accusing him of sexual harassment against female grapplers. In protest against Sanjay Singh’s election as WFI chief, Sakshi Malik announced that she quit wrestling, while Bajrang Punia left his Padma Shri award – the country’s fourth highest civilian award – in the footpath to protest against the same.

It has been learnt that the ad-hoc panel, which was led by Bhupender Singh Bajwa, will be asked to manage the affairs till suspension is lifted, reported PTI.