'We Don't Recognise Ad-Hoc Panel': Sanjay Singh Defies WFI Suspension, Vows To Organise Wrestling Nationals

Sanjay Singh, the President of the suspended Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), stated on Monday that the organisation plans to host the national championships. Singh emphasised that neither the recent suspension by the Sports Ministry nor the formation of an ad-hoc panel deterred their intentions, news agency PTI reported. 

The Sports Ministry took action to suspend the WFI on December 24, just three days after its elections, citing multiple rule violations. Following this, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) constituted a three-member committee, chaired by Bhupender Singh Bajwa. The committee also includes former hockey player M M Somaya and former badminton player Manjusha Kanwar.

The newly-formed ad-hoc panel revealed plans to conduct the senior national championships in Jaipur from February 2-5. However, Sanjay Singh remained defiant against this decision. "Our election process was democratic, and the Returning Officer validated it. We do not acknowledge this ad-hoc panel," Sanjay told PTI.

When questioned about the organisation of the Nationals, Sanjay responded, "We are functioning as usual despite the suspension. If they cannot gather teams from our state associations, how can they host the Nationals? We intend to convene an Executive Committee meeting shortly and plan our Nationals before them," as reported by PTI. 

The wrestling community in India has experienced internal conflicts over the past year. The election of Sanjay Singh, an associate of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who faces allegations of sexual harassment, prompted several athletes to return their national sports awards in protest. Notably, Bajrang Punia relinquished his Padma Shri, while Vinesh Phogat gave up her Arjuna Award and Khel Ratna. Additionally, Sakshi Malik stepped away from wrestling on the day of Sanjay's election victory.

"We provided our explanation to the ministry, asserting that we adhered to all regulations. If they choose not to engage, we'll adopt a similar stance," Sanjay concluded, highlighting the deepening rift within Indian wrestling, the PTI report said.