WFI: What Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat have said on election controversy so far

It’s been more than a week since the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections were conducted, with the results getting announced on the same day, and wrestling in India hasn’t been the same ever since.

Sanjay Singh’s victory over rival and former wrestler Anita Sheoran 40 votes to 7 was met with massive protests from some of the leading wrestlers across the country. Among those who expressed outrage over Singh’s appointment as the new WFI president were the trio of Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat.

WFI timeline: A look at everything that has happened since Sanjay Singh’s victory

Singh’s proximity to former president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is what drew sharp criticism from the wrestling stars. Brij Bhushan, after all, had been forced to step down as WFI chief after sit-in protests against him in New Delhi earlier this summer, of which Malik, Punia and Phogat were the faces.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Kaiserganj had been accused of, and later charged with, sexually harassing several female wrestlers.

While Singh was elected as the president, the Brij Bhushan camp ended up winning 13 of the 15 posts that were contested in the elections. Following the announcement of the election results, celebrations broke out at Brij Bhushan’s residence in New Delhi where it was the former president who was garlanded by his supporters instead of his loyalist, the individual who had been elected to the post, giving further credence to the theory that the BJP MP would remain in control of the day-to-day affairs of the wrestling body even if he had been removed from the post.

The Sports Ministry, however, would suspend the WFI just three days after Singh’s appointment citing several concerns, including making “hasty” announcements regarding conducting U-15 and U-20 nationals in Gonda — Brij Bhushan’s native place in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The Sports Ministry had also taken objection to the fact that the federation continued to operate from Brij Bhushan’s residence despite his tenure as president having ended months ago.

Read | Sanjay Singh says WFI can ‘explore legal options’ to get suspension lifted

The Sports Ministry would then approach the PT Usha-led Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to form an ad-hoc panel to run the day-to-day affairs at the WFI.

Here’s how the wrestling community has reacted to all the developments so far:

Sakshi Malik

Malik would send the sporting community in India into a shock by announcing her retirement on the day the election results were announced.

“We slept for 40 days on the roads and a lot of people from several parts of the country came to support us. If Brij Bhushan Singh’s business partner and a close aide is elected as the president of WFI, I quit wrestling,” a tearful Malik said on 21 December.

Malik, however, sounded a lot more positive after the WFI was suspended, saying it was the “first step towards something good”.

“It is the first step towards something good happening. I hope the government understands more for what cause we were fighting.

“If a woman federation president is there, it will be better for the safety of women wrestlers. It was a fight for sisters and daughters of the country,” said the 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medallist.

Bajrang Punia

Punia, who won bronze in the Tokyo Olympics, accused the Sports Ministry of not keeping its word of preventing anyone associated with Brij Bhushan — and not just his family members — from getting elected to the WFI after Singh’s appointment.

“It’s unfortunate that government did not stand by its word that no Brij Bhushan loyalist will contest WFI election. We were fighting for truth and women, else we were also active athletes and winning medals for the country. I don’t think the daughters will get justice because the way this system has worked, efforts are being made to break the daughters. Still, we have faith in the judiciary,” Punia said.

The 29-year-old would later return his Padma Shri in protest against Singh’s appointment, leaving it on the pavement of Kartavya Path while on his way to the Prime Minister’s Office.

However, even after the WFI’s suspension, Punia refused to take his Padma Shri back.

“Now that I have returned it, I am not going to take it back. The honour of our sisters and daughters is bigger than any award. All of you have seen what is happening.

“I will think about taking it back only after justice is delivered. The matter is in court and we are waiting for justice,” Punia said.

Vinesh Phogat

Phogat said that the “future of Indian wrestling was in the dark” following Singh’s election to the post of president.

“It’s unfortunate that such people are getting elected to such positions in the country. Now, girls will be harassed again. It’s sad that even after fighting against it, we couldn’t bring any changes. I don’t know how to get justice in our own country.

“There are minimal expectations but we hope that we get justice. It’s saddening that the future of wrestling is in the dark. To whom shall we convey our grief?… We are still fighting,” the two-time World Championships bronze medallist had said.

Phogat would later join Punia returning her awards — the Khel Ratna and the Arjuna Award — putting them on the pavement on Kartavya Path much like Punia.