“Will talk to PM Modi, Sports Minister…, future of children getting ruined”: WFI chief Sanjay Singh

New Delhi [India]: Newly elected Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Sanjay Singh said on Sunday that some members of the executive committee of the federation will talk to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur after the minister suspended the governing body along with all its office-bearers.

In a major decision, coming in light of fresh protests by star wrestlers Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia over the election of an aide of deposed WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh as the new president of the wrestling federation, the Union Sports Ministry on Sunday suspended the sport’s premier governing body in the country along with all its office-bearers.

Sanjay said that the future of children who are pursuing this sport is getting ruined and the federation will talk to the government.

“We will speak to the Central government, we will speak to PM Modi and the Sports Minister. The future of children is getting ruined, some members of the executive committee will go and talk,” said Sanjay.

On his relationship with former WFI president Brij Bhushan Singh, Sanjay said that they both come from different communities and they share a bond of friendship as he was the Joint Secretary in the federation during Brij’s tenure as president of the sport’s governing body.

“When New Federation was formed, he (Brijbhushan Singh) was sent off and today he said that he has retired from wrestling, Sakshi Malik has also retired…both of them have retired, so now both should let the federation run peacefully, wrestling has stopped, every time nationals come, activities are stopped, He (Brijbushan Singh) and I are from different communities, then how can we be relatives? When he was the president of the federation, I was joint secretary, there has been a bond and friendship from that time between us,” said Sanjay.

The decision came close on the heels of newly elected WFI president Sanjay Singh announcing the hosting of the U-15 and U-20 nationals at Nandini Nagar in the Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh by the end of the year.

Also, the Union Sports Ministry on Sunday instructed the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to form an ad-hoc committee to manage and control the affairs of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), as per a source from the ministry.

Earlier, Olympian Sakshi Malik announced her retirement from wrestling at an emotional press briefing, claiming that the Centre went back on its word to not install an aide of Brij Bhushan as an office-bearer of the wrestling federation.

Later, voicing his misgivings over the election of Sanjay Singh as the new WFI chief, fellow Olympian Bajrang Punia returned his Padma Shri in protest.

The star wrestlers earlier led a protest by wrestlers who came out against Brij Bhushan, accusing him of sexual harassment.

“This announcement is hasty, without giving sufficient notice to wrestlers who are to take part in the said nationals and without following the provisions of the constitution of WFI. As per clause 3 (e) of the preamble of the constitution of WFI, the object of the WFI, among others, is to arrange the holding of Senior, Junior and Sub Junior National Championships as per UWW Rules at places selected by the Executive Committee,” the Sports Ministry stated in a release on Sunday.

“Such decisions are to be taken by the Executive Committee, before which agendas are required to be placed for consideration. As per Article XI of the WFI constitution under the Heading ‘Notices and Quorum for Meetings’, the minimum notice period for EC meetings is 15 clear days and the quorum is of 1/3rd of representatives. Even for Emergency EC meetings, the minimum notice period is 7 clear days with a quorum requirement of 1/3rd of representatives,” the ministry added.

“Further, in terms of Article X (d) of the Constitution of WFI, it is the Secretary General of WFI, who has been made responsible for carrying out the general business of the Federation, keeping the minutes of the meetings, maintaining all the records of the Federation, calling the meetings of the General Council and the Executive Committee. It seems the Secretary-General has not been involved in the said meeting of EC, which was held without any notice or quorum,” it stated further.

“The decisions made by the newly elected executive body of the WFI demonstrate a blatant disregard for the established legal and procedural norms, violating both the WFI’s constitutional provisions and the National Sports Development Code. The newly elected body appeared to be in complete control of former office bearers in complete disregard to the Sports Code. The business of the Federation is being run from the premises controlled by former office bearers,” the ministry added.