Wrestling in India to see more instability as Sakshi Malik retires and Brij Bhushan's aide wins WFI elections?

It began on 18 January with India’s top wrestlers including Olympic medal winners Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia hitting the streets in protest against the then Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. It ended, over 11 months later, on 21 December with Brij Bhushan celebrating the result of the WFI elections. Albeit this was not him celebrating his victory but that of his close aide Sanjay Singh becoming the new president of WFI.

#WATCH | Newly elected president of the Wrestling Federation of India Sanjay Singh arrives at the residence of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh says "This is not my personal victory, this is the victory of the wrestlers of… pic.twitter.com/JaIJ6XLz1G

— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2023

The protests began with Malik, who won bronze at the Rio Olympics, and Vinesh Phogat, India’s only female wrestler to win Asian Games gold, making accusations of sexual harassment against Brij Bhushan. It ended with Sakshi breaking down in front of the media and announcing her retirement.

#WATCH | Delhi: Wrestler Sakshi Malik breaks down as she says "...If Brij Bhushan Singh's business partner and a close aide is elected as the president of WFI, I quit wrestling..." pic.twitter.com/26jEqgMYSd

— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2023

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In between, the wrestlers fought and protested relentlessly on the streets of the national capital Delhi for the removal of Brij Bhushan, for inside cleaning of the federation, which as per reports doesn’t have a sexual harassment panel mandated by law, and making a new start in how wrestling is administered in India. The BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Kaiserganj has rejected all allegations against him and the case against the politician is pending before the trial court. Till the time the trial court’s order is not announced, it’s a case of my words against yours, but one mustn’t forget the seriousness of the allegations that include inappropriate touching, and intimidation including stalking. Sections 506 (criminal intimidation), 354 (outraging modesty of a woman); 354 A (sexual harassment); and 354 D (stalking) have been invoked by Delhi Police in the chargesheet against Brij Bhushan. And most importantly, the Delhi Police chargesheet said Brij Bhushan was “liable to be prosecuted and punished for offences” of sexual harassment, molestation, and stalking. In January when the Sports Ministry stripped him of his administrative powers and appointed an Oversight Committee, it was felt that change would come, even if slowly. Wrestlers had to hit the streets again in April after the Committee, which was to investigate the matter, kept delaying its finding and had to move to the Supreme Court to get FIRs registered against Brij Bhushan, still, it felt like that change would come. The allegations are not proven in the court yet, but the allegations by some of the best wrestlers in the country who have made India proud on the international stage do carry some weight. Not to forget the Delhi Police chargesheet carries 15 incidents of alleged sexual harassment. But the WFI election result which came on 21 December makes you feel that it’s too late for the change to come. The wrestlers wanted a woman president. It was a wrong demand, something we shouldn’t hesitate to admit, but Sanjay’s victory is Brij Bhushan’s win. It’s the MP’s backdoor entry into WFI. “Hamara samband ek bada bhai aur chota bhai ke saman hai (Our relationship [between him and Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh] is like a big brother and younger brother.) He used to conduct mitti kushti (traditional mud wrestling competitions) in Ayodhya and I used to conduct them in Kashi (Varanasi). As you know Ayodhya and Kashi have a very old relationship as well,” Sanjay said after winning the election in an interview with Sportstar. The WFI election was expected to bring an end to the whole furore that has impacted wrestling big time in the country which also resulted in an underwhelming campaign at Asian Games, but its result has only seen one of India’s few individual Olympic medallists quit the sport and casting more shadows on the future of the sport. If reform in the federation was the need of the hour, Brij Bhushan’s brazen celebrations have only shown that the more things change, the more they will remain the same in WFI.