In a major development in the Wrestling Federation of India, Sanjay Singh has been elected as the president of the federation. The polls of the body were held after 11 months. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was the previous president of the wrestling body.
Moreover, A.K Saha, Jay Prakash, Kartar Singh and Mr. Fauni have been elected in vice-president roles. Also, Mr. Lokant has been elected as the Secretary-General in the wrestling body. Singh defeated Commonwealth Games gold medallist Anita Sheoran by a margin of 40:7. Sheoran was bidding to become the fist female president of the body.
After much delay, the elections to the WFI were held on December 21, Thursday. The voting and counting were done on the same day, Thursday. 15 posts went for the poll.
Singh is said to be a close aid to the former chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. "(WFI) election is being held after 11 months. Victory of Sanjay Singh, who is vice-president of UP Wrestling Federation, is certain," Brij Bhushan told reporters on the voting day.
Some of the protesting wrestlers Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia had reservations over Sanjay Singh fighting in the polls and had also raised their voices over the same. Brij Bhushan was the earlier chief of the body but he stepped aside in the wake of the wrestlers' protest against him. Several big Indian pugilists protested against Bhushan Sharan and accused him of sexual charges. The wrestlers sat in protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar and even threatened to dump their medals in the river Ganges while the protest was on.
The appointment in the WFI body can also see United World Wrestling to lift suspension over the WFI. The world body suspended the Indian wrestling body for failing to conduct elections at the time period set in August.
