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Sanjay Kumar Singh is an Indian sports administrator and affiliate of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). In December 2023, he was elected as the president of the Wrestling Federation of India.
Wiki/Biography
Sanjay Singh was born in Kashi, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 10″
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Parents & Siblings
Sanjay Singh’s father’s name is Nand Lal Singh, and his mother’s name is Gyanati Devi.
Wife & Children
Sanjay Singh is married to Archana Singh. The couple has 2 daughters; one of the daughters is named Jigyasa Singh.
Address
Flat No. C-4, Krishna Apartment, Bridopur, Mahmmorganj, Varanasi-221010, Uttar Pradesh
Career
In 2008, Sanjay Singh took charge as the district president of the Varanasi Wrestling Association. In 2009, he became the vice-president of Uttar Pradesh Wrestling Association. Later, he served as a member of WFI’s (Wrestling Federation of India) executive council. In 2019, he was appointed as the Joint Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Wrestling Federation of India. On 21 December 2023, Sanjay Singh was elected as the president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). He defeated Anita Sheoran, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist, with a 40-7 vote share in the WFI election. In an interview, post his victory in the WFI election, he said,
The election was in our hands from the first day itself. Voting happened and whatever was supposed to happen, happened. The truth prevailed. We had faith because of the amount of work we have done for wrestlers. Pehelwaan jaante hain yahi se hi unka bhala hone wala hai. (The wrestlers know that only we can take care of their needs.) They know that everything was shut for the last 11 months. Wrestlers weren’t able to compete (under the Indian flag), everything was shut and all the wrestlers had become forlorn. Those conditions were enough to tell us that victory was ours.”
Sanjay Singh after getting elected as the WFI president
Controversies
Row over WFI election victory
Sanjay Singh’s victory in the 2023 WFI election faced backlash from various wrestlers because he was backed by Brij Bhushan Singh who was accused of sexually harassing women wrestlers. After his victory, wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Vinesh Phogat addressed the media at the Press Club of India during which they expressed their disappointment with the government by claiming that the government had failed to keep its word to exclude Brij Bhushan’s relatives and associates from the electoral process. Later, Sakshi announced her retirement from wrestling by placing her shoes on the table. She said,
If Brij Bhushan Singh’s business partner and a close aide is elected as the president of WFI, (then) I quit wrestling.”
During the interview, Vinesh also expressed his disappointment, and said,
He (Sanjay Singh) is Brij Bhushan’s right-hand man. He is more special to him than his own son. Now that he is president, the coming batch of women wrestlers will also fall prey.”
Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik (left to right) at a press conference after the WFI election
In an interview, Sanjay Singh, while talking about the protesting wrestlers said,
Kaun kya bol raha hai, kya nahin bol raha hai, usse hume koi matlab nahin. (What someone is saying, or not saying, doesn’t matter to us.) We have no ill will towards any wrestler. Whoever will join us and wrestle well will be welcome. This is not just our victory; it is also the victory of the wrestlers.”
Suspension of the WFI Panel
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports suspended the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) panel on 24 December 2023 for violating the constitution of the WFI. The decision was made after the newly-elected WFI executive committee’s announcement regarding the organization of the U-15 and U-20 national trials without giving prior notice. According to the ministry, the committee violated many rules. It also noted that despite the new committee being in place, WFI affairs were still being managed from Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh‘s place, where sexual harassment was alleged. The ministry expressed concern about the new body operating from the old office without following the Sports Code.
Facts/Trivia
- Sanjay Singh is often referred to as Bablu amongst the wrestling circles.
- Sanjay Singh descends from a family of farmers. During Maha Shivaratri, he, along with his family members, hosts a mud wrestling (mitti ki kushti) tournament in their town every year.
- Sanjay shares a very close relationship with the Bharatiya Janata Party MP Brij Bhushan Singh Sharan. Before Sanjay Singh, Brij Bhushan Singh was the president of WFI. On 15 June 2023, Bhushan was charged with sexually harassing female wrestlers; however, he denied every accusation.
Sanjay Singh (right) with Brij Bhushan (left)
In an interview, while talking about his association with Brij Bhushan, he said,
We have the relationship of an elder and younger brother. We know each other from the time when both of our families would organise kushti in Kashi and Ayodhya.”
- According to a report, Singh has played an important role in elevating the status of the women wrestlers from the Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh.