Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh told the Press Trust of India (PTI) after the meeting, "We were supposed to hold elections earlier, but the recent controversy delayed the process."
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Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the former president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), has announced that he will not compete for president in the next WFI elections on May 7, 2023. He is awaiting the findings of a government inquiry into charges of sexual harassment against him. Singh did, however, imply that he might look for a different position inside the federation. The election schedule was announced at a meeting of the WFI’s Emergency General Council and Executive Committee presided over by Secretary General VN Prasood. As president, Brij Bhushan has served three consecutive four-year terms. He is not allowed to run for president under the Sports Code after serving as the head of the WFI for 12 years.
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh told the Press Trust of India (PTI) after the meeting, “We were supposed to hold elections earlier, but the recent controversy delayed the process. Now, we will move forward. I will adhere to the Sports Code and not run for the president’s position.” When asked about his future involvement with WFI, Singh clarified that he has only ruled out contesting for the president’s post, not the elections altogether. Singh, who is 66 years old, must complete a four-year cooling-off period before being once again eligible to serve as an office holder. He is still eligible to join the WFI Executive Committee, which has five members. He will be 70 years old by the time his cooling-off period is through in 2027, making him unable to run for office under the Code, which has imposed an upper age limit for all officials.
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Whether his son Karan, who now serves as the president of the UP Wrestling Association, decides to run for office, that decision is yet to be made. In response to a question about his participation at the AGM, Singh said that he has complied with all rules and guidelines as he waits for the government report on the accusations made against him by some of the nation’s elite wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik.
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said the claims presented at the hearings were absurd and unproven. The wrestlers have discussed personal and family things with him and have spent time with his family, so he questioned their motivations. He denied the accusations, contending that someone else must be behind the controversy and that the athletes had been taken advantage of. The former WFI president reassured that after the matter is addressed, the federation won’t seek revenge. He emphasized that there will be no prejudice and that all qualified candidates will have an equal opportunity to compete. Singh said he had done nothing wrong and had carried on with his responsibilities guilt-free.
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