WFI Election Result: Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's Ally Sanjay Singh Elected As New President

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WFI Election: Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh had the last laugh in the Indian wrestling war since this year's protest against him by elite wrestlers as his ally Sanjay Singh won the Wrestling Federation of India's (WFI) election for president post in New Delhi on Thursday (December 21).

With the election, the world wrestling body (UWW) is also soon going to revoke the suspension on WFI. The Wrestling Federation of India elections took place following multiple postponements earlier in the year.

India wrestlers have been competing as neutral athletes in international tournaments for the past few months, and the UWW has suspended WFI for not holding elections by the date they had set in August.

Elections were conducted for fifteen positions, including those of president, treasurer, secretary-general, and senior vice president. Anita Sheoran, a former gold medallist in the Commonwealth Games, and Sanjay Singh, the vice president of the Uttar Pradesh Wrestling Federation, were competing against each other for the presidency.

Anita Sheoran, representing Odisha but a native of Haryana, was running to become the first female head of the wrestling body. Star wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Vinesh Phogat supported her when they protested against departing president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over allegations of sexual harrassments.

Sanjay Singh, who is a proven close ally of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, has pledged to revive the heyday of wrestling, a sport that has recently produced several Olympic medallists for India. Some, including Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, expressed their concerns over Sanjay Singh running in the polls at their meeting with Sports minister Anurag Thakur earlier this month.