Former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Sunday said that the newly-elected wrestling body chief Sanjay Singh is not his relative and that it was decided to conduct the games in Gonda to resume sports activities and not waste a year of young wrestlers.
His remarks came hours after the Union Sports Ministry suspended the newly-elected body of the Wrestling Federation of India. The Union Sports Ministry took the decision after the WFI president Sanjay Singh announced that U-15 and U-20 nationals will take place in Nandini Nagar in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda before the end of this year.
The Union Sports Ministry said while announcing the decision that the wrestling body showed a complete disregard for the existing rules and regulations. It also added that the announcement for the national competitions was hasty.
"WFI elections were held on SC directions. Further, Sanjay Singh is not my relative. To resume the sports activities and not waste a year of young wrestlers, it was decided to conduct the games in Nandini Nagar. Now, I do not have anything to do with wrestling and have to look into the Lok Sabha polls that are approaching. Whatever decision has to be taken will be taken by the new federation," Singh was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Commenting on these developments, Singh, a who is also an aide of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said that he is yet to receive a copy of the letter by the Union Sports Ministry.
"I was on a flight. I don't know the details and have not received any letter yet. I will make a public statement only after going through the letter. I have heard that some decisions have been reversed," he said. Singh further avoided commenting on Olympian wrestler Sakshi Malik's poignant press conference wherein she announced her retirement from wrestling.
A face of the wrestlers' protest against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment allegations, Malik had previously announced that she is quitting wrestling. Malik's comment came within an hour after Sanjay Singh replaced Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and was elected as the new WFI chief.
Meanwhile, Malik told news agency ANI that she has not seen anything in writing yet and doesn't know whether Sanjay Singh has been suspended or the entire body has been suspended. She added that the wrestlers' fight was not against the government but for women wrestlers.
"I have not seen anything in writing yet. I don't know whether only Sanjay Singh has been suspended or the entire body has been suspended...Our fight was not with the government. Our fight is for women wrestlers, I have announced my retirement but want that the upcoming wrestlers should get justice," Malik said.
Samajwadi Party leader Fakhrul Hasan Chaand also weighed in on the issue. Chaand said, "The issue is still there as the BJP is merely diverting people's attention by suspending the WFI body when there is outrage among the women and athletes."
(With agency inputs)
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