Wrestling Federation Elections Faces Delay Amidst Controversy and Allegations

New Delhi, July 18, 2023: Elections to the various posts of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) have been mired in controversy, causing further delays as serious allegations of sexual harassment against the federation’s chief, BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, prompted protests by top wrestlers at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.

After an almost 40-day sit-in protest, the wrestlers were assured talks with Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, who promised that Delhi Police would file a charge sheet against Singh, which was done on June 15. Additionally, the sports minister pledged to hold fresh elections to select new leadership for the federation.

The election, initially scheduled for July 11, was halted by the Gauhati High Court after the Assam Wrestling Association (AWA) sought to be included in the electoral college as a state unit of the WFI. The high court set the next hearing for July 28.

Now, the Wrestling Association of Tripura has also approached the high court to be included in the electors’ list, with eight other state units reportedly joining the plea. These state units allege that the WFI “illegally disaffiliated” them during Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s 12-year tenure as president. The state bodies claim that Singh used his influence to place family members and his supporters in state bodies.

In May, the Tripura wrestling body president revealed that Brij Bhushan had pressured him to include his son’s name from Tripura for the 2015 WFI elections.

The elections are being supervised by an ad-hoc committee formed in response to the complaints against Brij Bhushan. The United World Wrestling (UWW), the international governing body for amateur wrestling, has warned that failure to meet the election deadline could result in the suspension of the WFI, compelling athletes to compete under a neutral flag.

The prolonged controversy and delays have raised concerns over the federation’s governance and transparency, affecting India’s wrestling fraternity and its international standing.