The Union Sports Ministry Sunday suspended newly elected Wrestling Federation of India body.
Wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik address a press conference at Jantar Mantar (IANS)
Top wrestlers, who raised their voices against the election of Sanjay Singh as WFI chief, have welcomed the government’s move to suspend the newly formed Wrestling Federation of India body. They said that the decision have given them some hope that they will get justice.
“Sports Ministry has suspended the Wrestling Federation of India. Even though it is late, there is a ray of hope that wrestlers will get justice,” Olympian and wrestler Geeta Phogat said in a post on ‘X’.
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Vijender Singh, another athelete and first boxer to win an Olympic medal, said that the decision should have come sooner.
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“They made the woman to quit wrestling, the man to return the Padma Shri, and now they have suspended the wrestling federation. Action should have been taken earlier,” Vijender Singh, who is also a Congress leader, said.
The wrestlers have claimed that Singh is a close associate of former WFI chief and sexually assault accused BJP MP Brijbushan Sharan Singh and that the latter will continue to dominate the WFI’s day to day affairs.
Shortly after the election results were announced, Olympic medalist Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia addressed an emotional press conference to register their protest.
Malik announced her decision to quit the sport and left her wrestling shoes on the press conference table.
A day later, Punia returned his Padma Shri award and left it on a footpath along with a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in which he highlighted how the BJP MP will continue to dominate the federation.
Taking note of their demand, the sports ministry today suspended the WFI body till further orders.
“Newly elected body appears to be in complete control of former office bearers in complete disregard to the Sports Code,” the ministry said in a press release.
“The business of the Federation is being run from the premises controlled by former office bearers. Which is also alleged premises wherein sexual harassment of the players have been alleged and present the court is hearing the matter,” it further added.
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