Every sportsperson would have been looking to the New Year with new hopes and aspirations. Additionally so in 2024, which is the year of the Olympics to be held in Paris. But for Indian wrestlers, it is a stalemate that stares at them, thanks to the continuing impasse involving the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and the wrestlers themselves over the yet-to-be-cleared allegations of sexual harassment against the former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Mr Singh is said to be out of the picture now, with the court case on and he himself out of the Federation. Further, as per the last news on him, the man, a sitting MP has announced his decision to quit the sport itself totally!

Much had happened over the year with the agitating wrestlers taking to the street and what not had happened. Things seemed to die down a bit with the WFI control temporarily shifting to a specially instituted panel to carry on with the affairs of wrestling in India. The Asian Games in Hangzhou, China came and went, and even though India returned with medals, six in all (one silver and five bronzes), it is anybody’s guess if this consistency can be continued in the seasons ahead, looking into the current difficult situation. What has turned the table again is the recent elections held for the WFI that saw Bhushan Singh’s close aides filling most of the posts. In fact, 13 out of the 15, and what is more not a........

© Mathrubhumi English