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After the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) formed a three-member committee to handle the day-to-day affairs of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), the newly-elected president of the sport's governing body, Sanjay Singh, accused Bajrang Punia and other protesting wrestlers of engaging in politics and suggested they were past their prime as players.
"The players are past their prime. Like you must have seen with Bajrang Punia, he lost his last match by 10-0. Now they have left wrestling for politics. Rahul Gandhi went to meet them and wrestled with them on the mat. This is not something players do," Sanjay Singh told ANI.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi had interacted with wrestlers, including Olympian Bajrang Punia, at Virender Arya Akhara in Chhara village of Jhajjar district.
Singh claimed that the veteran wrestlers who have been protesting do not want junior wrestlers to progress and their protest has brought all wrestling activities to a halt.
"They do not want junior players to progress. They are doing politics, meeting one party or the other. This is causing a lot of losses to juniors since trials are not being held. I have been associated with wrestling for 10-12 years. If I have ever disrespected a wrestler, they should bring proof," said Singh.
He also questioned the wrestlers about what was his fault that they had started protesting as soon as he was elected president.
Regarding wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang returning their awards, Singh said that it is a personal matter. "But they should not do so because the money and emotions of our citizens made them the stars they are today," he added.
Regarding the further course of action, Sanjay Singh said that the federation will talk to the government.
"The ex-Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir was the returning officer, there were observers from IOA and United World Wrestling. The elections were done democratically. These elections were non-partisan," he added.
In light of the recent developments, the IOA announced Bhupinder Singh Bajwa as the chairman of the newly created ad-hoc committee to run the day-to-day matters of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) with immediate effect on Wednesday. IOC's announcement came after the Union Sports Ministry suspended the entire WFI's governing council.
The IOA formed the ad-hoc committee at the ministry's request on Wednesday. Bajwa will be assisted in running the WFI by MM Somaya and Manjusha Kanwar in the newly constituted ad-hoc committee.
India's wrestling has seen a major shift since the conclusion of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections last week. Former WFI Chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's aide Sanjay Singh was elected as the new president on Thursday, which caused a major disappointment among the wrestlers who were protesting against former WFI head, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.