“Ad-hoc committee largely responsible”: WFI chief Sanjay Singh on India’s 8-year anticipate Asian Games wrestling gold

By Vipul Kashyap

Aichi-Nagoya [Japan], October 2 (ANI): Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Sanjay Singh stated that the Indian Olympic Association (IOA)-appointed ad-hoc committee to take care of the functioning of the federation amid protests and investigation in opposition to former president Brij Bhushan Singh for alleged sexual harassment brought about India to overlook out on a gold medal on the Asian Games, with the younger wrestler Sujeet Kalkal ending the drought on Friday with a gold medal in males’s 65 kg freestyle wrestling. 

Sujeet Kalkal secured a historic gold medal on the ongoing Asian Games 2026, defeating Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev within the males’s freestyle 65kg last at Aichi-Nagoya on Friday. Down and out at 2-9 with a minute and 40 seconds to go, Sujeet produced takedowns after takedowns, altering tides in his favour and sealing the gold medal with eleven seconds left. This is India’s first Asiad gold in wrestling since gold medals by  Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat on the Jakarta-Palembang 2018 version, as per ESPN. 

This is India’s 75rd medal on the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, with 15 golds, 25 silver medals and 35 bronze medals. 

Speaking concerning the medal win and India’s lengthy anticipate an Asian Games gold, Sanjay stated, ‘What is being stated about successful gold after 8 years-if trials have been carried out and wrestlers have been despatched correctly final time (in the course of the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou), this gold would have been ours again then too. There wouldn’t have been a 4-year hole. For that, the ad-hoc committee is essentially answerable for shedding our nation’s medal. As for wrestling particulars, you possibly can ask our chief coach, Vinod ji.’

As the nation’s prime wrestlers equivalent to Bajrang Punia, Sakshee Malik and Vinesh Phogat led the protests in opposition to Brij Bhushan in early 2023, IOA introduced the formation of an ad-hoc committee in April 2023 to take care of the day-to-day functioning of the federation. United World Wrestling (UWW) imposed a ban on WFI in August 2023 for not conducting elections inside a stipulated time frame. Fresh elections have been held in late December 2023, elections have been held and Sanjay Singh was elected as the brand new president of WFI. However, the wrestlers protested in opposition to his election, saying he was an aide of ex-president Brij Bhushan. Days after the elections, the Ministry suspended the federation once more, a choice that got here after Sanjay had introduced the internet hosting of the U-15 and U-20 nationals at Nandini Nagar within the Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh by the tip of the yr. An ad-hoc committee of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) was put in place as soon as once more to deal with the day-to-day affairs of the federation. After the ban on WFI was lifted by UWW in February 2024, the ad-hoc committee was dissolved in March 2024. 

During as of late of turmoil, India had an underwhelming Asian Games marketing campaign, with only a silver and 5 bronze medals. In the 65 kg class, Bajrang Punia in males’s 65 kg was exempted from trials and granted a direct entry to the Asian Games in 2023, the place he did not get a medal. Sujeet was one of many wrestlers who moved to the Delhi High Court for the exemption given to Bajrang.

Fresh elections have been held in late December 2023, elections have been held and Sanjay Singh was elected as the brand new president of WFI. However, the wrestlers protested in opposition to his election, saying he was an aide of ex-president Brij Bhushan. Days after the elections, the Ministry suspended the federation once more, a choice that got here after Sanjay had introduced the internet hosting of the U-15 and U-20 nationals at Nandini Nagar within the Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh by the tip of the yr. An ad-hoc committee of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) was put in place as soon as once more to deal with the day-to-day affairs of the federation. After the ban on WFI was lifted by UWW in February 2024, the ad-hoc committee was dissolved in March 2024. 

Indian wrestling chief coach Vinod additionally agreed, saying, ‘In the 2023 Asian Games, Iran beat us by an enormous margin when our wrestler went with out trials. Trials ought to have been held. We suffered an 8-year hole due to that,’ he stated.

Speaking on his pupil’s efficiency, he termed it a ‘dramatic comeback’. 

‘Look, the entire nation noticed how he turned the bout round within the final 27 seconds. He created historical past. Nobody anticipated such a dramatic comeback,’ he stated. 

Speaking about his conflict in opposition to Japan’s Kiyooka, Vinod stated that the refereeing was extremely in favour of the Japanese wrestler. 

‘The referees have been fully favouring the Japanese wrestler; what was purported to be 4 factors for us, they solely gave 1 level. We have been unsure, watching the video replay repeatedly.’

Sujeet additionally produced one among India’s most notable outcomes of the day previous to the title conflict, defeating Japan’s Kiyooka 3-3 on standards within the males’s freestyle 65kg semifinal.

Kiyooka, the reigning Olympic champion, led 2-0 after the primary interval, however Sujeet fought again strongly within the second to attain three factors. With the bout stage at 3-3, the Indian was awarded the victory for scoring the ultimate level and superior to the gold medal bout.

Sujeet had earlier defeated Afghanistan’s Sayed Omar Zazai within the spherical of 16 and Iran’s Abbas Ebrahimzadehsavadkouhi within the quarterfinal. (ANI)