New Delhi: Former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Sunday said he is "done" with the sport and the newly-elected body will now take care of it as he has many more responsibilities to look into, including next year's Lok Sabha elections.
Brij Bhushan's comments came soon after his meeting with BJP chief JP Nadda following Sports Ministry's suspension of the WFI till further orders. "Whatever has to be done with regards to wrestling in India, it has to be done by the new elected body," Brij Bhushan told PTI. "I have nothing to do with the sport now. I have other responsibilities to focus now. I will be away from the politics of this sport," he added.
He had also reacted to the suspension of the Wrestling Federation of India saying that incumbent WFI chief Sanjay Singh was not his relative and all the 25 federations had given their oral and written consent for holding the nationals at Nandini Nagar.
"...Sanjay Singh is not my relative...The announcement to hold U-15 and U-20 nationals in Nandini Nagar was to ensure sports events should resume...," Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, also a BJP MP, told reporters at a press conference.
The Union Sports Ministry suspended the newly-elected President Sanjay Singh-led Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) till further orders after 'hasty announcement' of organizing the U-15 and U-20 national games.
"The old committee had to decide in haste (regarding), U-15 and U-20 (nationals)...as the session was getting over on December 31. After that, their one year would have gone to waste, so all the federations unitedly, and it was decided to hold at Nandinagar as all the federations said they would not be able to hold it," added Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
"To resume the sports activities, this decision was taken, and all the 25 federations had given their oral and written consent," claimed Brij Bhushan Singh.
The wrestlers including Olympians Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Vinesh Phogat had accused Brij Bhushan of sexually harassing women grapplers and had taken to the street. After Sanjay Singh's election, who is considered close to Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Sakshi announced that she quit the sport. At the same time, Bajrang had given his Padma Shri, the country's fourth highest civilian honour back to the government and placed it on a footpath in New Delhi.
He also asserted that the WFI elections were held democratically. "The elections were held democratically on the direction of the Supreme Court and the body was formed...Now it's their (federation members) decision if they wish to talk to the government or take the legal course of action. I have nothing to do with this...," he clarified.
Read more:
- Sports Ministry suspends Sanjay Singh-led Wrestling Federation of India till further orders
- 'New body in complete control of former office bearers': Sports Ministry suspends Sanjay Singh-led Wrestling Federation of India
- Govt asks Indian Olympic Association to form panel to run Wrestling Federation of India
