A few hours after Sanjay Singh was chosen as the new president of the Wrestling Federation of India, the protesting wrestlers held a press conference, where they deemed his appointment as 'unfortunate'.
Sanjay Singh, a close aide of former WFI Chief Brij Bhushan Singh, was appointed the new WFI boss after he defeated his opponent, former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Anita Sheoran.
The appointment of Singh has sparked significant discontent among prominent wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat.
These athletes, who had been at the forefront of protests against former federation president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh, expressed their disappointment in a presser. They criticized the government for not keeping its promise to prevent any of Brij Bhushan's loyalists from contesting the WFI elections.
In a striking move, Olympic bronze medalist Sakshi Malik announced that she's quitting wrestling altogether. Malik, a Rio Olympics medalist, declared her retirement in response to the election of a close aide of Brij Bhushan. She firmly stated her unwillingness to compete under the presidency of an individual loyal to Brij Bhushan.
Furthermore, Vinesh Phogat, visibly upset, voiced her concerns about Sanjay Singh's ascent to power. Phogat lamented, "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 change. I don't know how to get justice in our own country."
Brij Bhushan aide Sanjay Singh elected as Wrestling Federation of India President