"Players should focus more on sports..." says Manohar Lal Khattar after WFI election
Dec 23, 2023
Kurukshetra (Haryana) [India], December 23 : Following the election of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Singh's close aide Sanjay Singh as the president of the sport's governing body in the country, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar advised the players to "focus more on sports".
Former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's aide Sanjay Singh on Thursday was elected as the new president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
As the results were out, star wrestlers and Olympic medallists Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, who earlier came out against the now-deposed WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accusing him of sexual harassment, held a press conference in the national capital.
Sanjay's election was not received well by ace wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, who expressed their disappointment with the result.
Olympic medalist Sakshi Malik, who was the face of wrestlers' protest against former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment allegations, on Thursday announced that she is quitting wrestling after his aide Sanjay Singh was elected president of the federation.
Sakshi Malik, distraught and emotional, broke down as she left the venue after addressing a press conference in the national capital. She put her shoes on the table at the press conference as she announced her decision to quit wrestling.
CM Khattar said, "Players should focus more on sports. The issue that came up regarding association is encircled by politics. Elections take place democratically so now they should accept it".
Meanwhile, Bajrang Punia on Friday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that he is returning his Padma Shri as a mark of protest over the results of the recent Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections.
Punia shared a detailed post on X, stating, "I am returning my Padma Shri award to the Prime Minister. All I have to say is in this letter; this is my statement."
