The wrestlers’ protest against the departing boss, who has been accused of sexual harassment by multiple female grapplers, has suffered a significant blow as a result.
After the panel led by his assistant Sanjay Singh secured 13 of the 15 seats in the WFI ballot, a lavishly decorated Brij Bhushan—brazenly unapologetic as ever— flashed the victory sign. The outcome was inevitable, and Brij Bhushan had been certain on poll eve that Sanjay’s squad would comfortably beat the panel headed by gold champion Anita Sheoran from the Commonwealth Games.
Source: The Indian Express
Olympic bronze medalist Sakshi Malik quickly declared her retirement from wrestling after being disappointed with the result. Together with fellow professional wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, Sakshi has been leading the push for justice for the alleged victims of Brij Bhushan.
Another of the demonstrators’ main demands was a comprehensive cleanup of the WFI, but following Thursday’s unfair outcomes, everything is back to normal. Brij Bhushan has pledged that the protesting wrestlers won’t be targeted for retaliation and that the new regime will operate impartially.
Source: The Indian Express
His comments, nevertheless, are insufficient to appease the irate players. They stated that the government had assured them that no one who supported Brij Bhushan would get an office-bearer position in the WFI.
They now have every right to feel angry and deceived. Punia has made the decision to give back the Padma Shri. This is a depressing indictment on Indian wrestling’s management and a sign of the nation’s persistent politicisation of sports. Such reprehensible events have damaged India’s reputation in the world of international sports. For the country’s athletes in the lead-up to the 2024 Olympics, this is not promising.
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