'Protesting wrestlers won't face any vendetta'- Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh

The protesting wrestlers will not face any sort of vendetta politics and they will get the required support from the new federation, outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said on Thursday after the panel backed by him emerged victorious in the keenly-followed elections.

Brij Bhushan, who is facing sexual harassment charges from women wrestlers, assured that the new dispensation will work impartially.

Rio Olympics medallist Sakshi Malik, though, announced her retirement from the sport, saying she won't compete under the presidency of a man, who is backed by the former WFI boss.

Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia are still active and hope to qualify for the 2024 Paris Games. The two wrestlers also expressed disappointment that Brij Bhushan loyalist Sanjay Singh had become the new WFI chief but did not follow Sakshi in quitting the sport.

The three top wrestlers had launched an agitation against Brij Bhushan accusing him of sexually exploiting several women wrestlers, early this year.

"All wrestlers will get support from the WFI. There will be no partiality. A lot of wrestlers, new and established ones, had sat on dharna on the first day of the protest (January 2023). No one will be singled out on that basis. We have to look after the game and not the mistakes of the wrestlers. If they will suffer due to their mistakes, then the federation will not be impartial," Brij Bhushan told PTI when asked if the federation would support the wrestlers who had protested against him.

Brij Bhushan also assured that he will stay as the advisor to the new working body.

While Sanjay Kumar Singh is the newly elected boss of WFI, it looks like Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh will be involved in the functioning of the federation given his relation with the current WFI President.