Government Must Uphold Promise of Clean Elections for Wrestling Federation of India, Urges Olympian Bajrang Punia
New Delhi: Bajrang Punia, the bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, has urged the government to fulfill its commitment to ensuring a change in leadership within the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) during upcoming elections. Speaking out against President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Punia stressed that without a fair election process free from his influence, the issues of corruption and safety concerns for female wrestlers will persist.
Singh, a BJP MP representing Uttar Pradesh’s Kaisarganj, has been accused of rape and torture against women wrestlers as highlighted in a chargesheet filed by the Delhi Police. In June, Punia and other prominent wrestlers called off their protest against Singh following a meeting with Sports Minister Anurag Thakur. As part of the agreement, it was stipulated that no candidates affiliated with Singh or his close associates would contest the elections.
However, it has come to light that individuals closely associated with Singh, such as Sanjay Kumar Singh, are indeed running for positions within the WFI. Punia believes that if Sanjay Kumar wins, it would essentially amount to Brij Bhushan’s victory. Pledges made by the government to keep Singh’s family members away from the elections seem to have been violated.
Expressing concern for the safety and well-being of female wrestlers, Punia questioned the prolongation of their living in fear. He asserted that once it becomes evident that Brij Bhushan’s influence is eradicated from the WFI, more women who have faced sexual harassment will be encouraged to step forward and share their experiences. Notably, Anita Sheoran, a witness in the case against Singh, has garnered support from Punia, along with renowned wrestlers Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat.
Highlighting Sheoran’s formidable qualities, Punia praised her deep understanding of the sport and empathetic perspective gained from personal experience as a former wrestler. He emphasized that her presidency would provide a secure environment for female wrestlers while acknowledging that the decision-making concerning key positions within the WFI should consider the input of athletes. Punia stressed that the government’s assurance that wrestlers’ opinions matter was pivotal in the resolution of their protest. However, he expressed disappointment at the perceived lack of commitment to fulfill that promise.
Discussing the mental toll caused by the uncertainty surrounding the election process, Punia lamented the impact on training and performance. He revealed that both he and Vinesh Phogat faced immense mental pressure, with their focus on training disrupted by concerns over the presence of individuals affiliated with Singh. Punia stated that they are engaging with government officials and sports authorities to ensure that those close to Singh are not involved in the selection process. He acknowledged the significant amount of time and effort spent on meetings and calls after returning to India, highlighting the challenge of maintaining concentration on wrestling and training while the future of Indian sports hangs in the balance.
The government should stick to its promise to clean up WFI during elections
New Delhi: Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Bajrang Punia on Wednesday said the government should keep its word on ensuring a change of power in the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) without anyone close to president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. fight elections. Otherwise there will be no purification and women wrestlers will not feel safe.
Bhushan, the BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Kaisarganj, was found open to prosecution on charges of raping and torturing women wrestlers in a chargesheet by the Delhi Police. After a meeting with Sports Minister Anurag Thakur in June, Bajrang and some other top wrestlers of the country had called off their protest against Singh. One of the conditions agreed upon was that no ‘family members’ or ‘supporters’ of Singh would contest the elections.
Those close to Brij Bhushan are contesting the election. Sanjay Kumar Singh is contesting for the post of WFI president. If Sanjay Kumar wins it is equivalent to Brij Bhushan winning the election. The government had ensured that Brij Bhushan’s close and family members would not compete. But that doesn’t seem to be the case now.
The government must keep its promise, or female wrestlers will not be safe. How long will female wrestlers live in fear? Bajrang told Indian Express. Sanjay Kumar is the Vice President of Uttar Pradesh Wrestling Association.
Brij Bhushan wants to seize power through his loyal aides. He tries to silence female wrestlers who want to speak out against him and are afraid to do so.
“The moment it becomes clear that there is no one related to Brij Bhushan in WFI, other women who have been sexually harassed will also have the courage to speak about what they have faced. Brij Bushan is very strong and has a good grip. That’s why we want to change at WFI,” said Bajrang.
A worthy challenger
2010 Commonwealth Games gold medalist Anita Sheoran is the next candidate for the post of President. Anita, a witness in the case against Brij Bhushan, has the support of Bajrang and two other prominent wrestlers who were part of the protest – Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat.
“Anita is a former wrestler. They understand the sport and know the sacrifice that wrestlers have to make to win a medal for the country. Anita will be the voice of wrestlers. Most importantly, female wrestlers will feel safe. I am not saying that I should be made president of WFI. But the government had assured us that our opinion mattered about who would hold key positions in the WFI. That was the condition that led to the withdrawal of our protest. But the promise does not seem to be kept,” said Bajrang.
Mental torture
Bajrang said he returned to India knowing that his training time in Kyrgyzstan had been cut short and that he had not abandoned candidates of his choice in the Brij Bhushan elections.
“It’s mental torture for me and Vinesh. After the end of the protest, we wanted to give 100 percent to training. How can that be possible when the people of Brij Bhushan know that the federation will come again. We are talking to the government, the sports ministry and the Sports Authority of India to ensure that people close to Brij Bhushan are not involved in the selection process. After returning to India, a lot of time was spent in meetings and phone calls. “It is very difficult to focus on wrestling and training when the future of sports in India is at stake,” added Bajrang.
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