'Dabdaba tha, dabdaba rahega': Brij Bhushan after aide Sanjay elected WFI president

Bajrang Punia (L), Vinesh Phogat (2nd L), Sakshi Malik (2nd R) and Sangeeta Phogat (L) attempt to march to India`s new parliament, Brij Bhushan Singh (Pic: AFP)

Following the win of his aide Sanjay Singh in the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections, the former president of the federation Brij Bhushan Singh said on Thursday that it is the victory of wrestlers across the country and added 'dabdabaa tha, dabdabba rahegaa' (dominance was there, dominance will stay). Former WFI chief Brij Bhushan's aide Singh on Thursday elected as the new president of the wrestling body.

"This is not my personal victory, this is the victory of the wrestlers of the country. All wrestling activities were stopped for 11 months. I hope that after the formation of the new federation, wrestling events will resume which were paused for the past 11 months," Brij Bhushan told the media.

"A message has been given. Every akhaada in the country is bursting firecrackers. Dabdabaa tha, dabdabaa rahega! I want to give the credit of victory to the wrestlers of the country and the electors. I want to thank the government as well. The elections were done on instructions of the Supreme Court and the Centre had submitted the PIL for this. Elections were held by the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the Centre went ahead to make sure elections happened and a non-partisan person was chosen as president. This 'grahan' of 11 months on wrestling is over. Within 10 days, the landscape of wrestling will change again and we will perform in the Olympics the way people want us to," concluded Brij Bhushan.

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Distraught and emotional, Sakshi Malik broke down as she left the venue after addressing a press conference in the national capital. "We have made demands for a woman president. If the president would be a woman, harassment would not happen. But, there was no participation of women earlier and today you can see the list, not even a single woman was given a position. We had fought with complete strength but this fight will continue. The wrestlers of the new generation have to fight."

The WFI polls were held on Thursday after several postponements earlier in the year. The vote took place earlier in the day in New Delhi, and the counting began soon after.

A panel of Sanjay Singh won the WFI polls by 40 votes while the other panel got 7 votes.

"National Camps (for wrestling) will be organised. Wrestlers who want to do politics can do politics, those who want to do wrestling will do wrestling," Singh told the reporters.

Sanjay served on the WFI's previous executive council. Since 2019, he has also served as the national federation's joint secretary.

The WFI polls were originally slated to be held on August 12. However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court, while holding a hearing on a petition in August, extended the stay on the WFI polls till September 25. Elections to the federation, which oversees wrestling in the country, were initially planned for June this year.

Also Read: Sakshi Malik breaks down after Brij Bhushan Singh's aide elected WFI chief

Earlier, this month, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik met Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur at his residence in the national capital for discussions on the WFI polls.

Sakshi's husband Satyawart Kadian, a wrestler himself, was also among those who called on the minister. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the wrestlers said they were assured that the government would keep its promise that no one related or close to Brij Bhushan would get a post in the WFI.

As the results are out the press conference is to be held by 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.

(With agency inputs)