After the Union Sports Ministry suspended the newly elected Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) body on Sunday, top athletes including Sakshee Malikkh, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat welcomed the decision, calling it the “first step for betterment of wrestlers”.

Wrestler Sakshee Malikkh, reacting to the suspension of the new WFI body, saying, “This has happened for the betterment of the wrestlers. We had been saying that this was the fight of the daughters and sisters. This is the first step.”

The Ministry’s action comes in response to an announcement made by the newly-elected WFI body, which is led by Sanjay Singh, a close associate of sex-harassment accused Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

The announcement was regarding the organisation of Under-15 and Under-20 national competitions.

In an official statement released on Sunday, the Sports Ministry emphasised that due process was not followed in the announcement of the national competitions. The ministry highlighted that at least a 15-day notice was required for such events, a protocol ignored by the WFI.

Sakshee Malikkh had quit wrestling on Thursday after Sanjay Singh was elected as the head of the WFI. When asked about her retirement announcement after the new development, she told news agency ANI, “I will tell you about the decision according to the federation that would be formed.”

Vijender Singh, the first Indian boxer to win an Olympic medal and a vocal supporter of the wrestlers’ cause against Brij Bhushan, expressed his belief that the Centre should have taken decisive action against the WFI much earlier.

Singh wrote on X, “They got the woman (Sakshee Malikkh) to quit wrestling, took away the man’s (Bajrang Punia) Padma Shri, now they said that the federation has been cancelled. They should have done this earlier.”

Similarly, wrestler Geeta Phogat said that even though the decision was taken late, it was a “ray of hope” for the wrestlers.

She wrote on X, “Even though it is late, a ray of hope has definitely arisen that the wrestlers will get justice!!!!”

Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia left his Padma Shri on the pavement of Kartavya Path in New Delhi as a mark of protest.

Speaking to AajTak on Sunday, Bajrang Punia said he would be ready to take back his Padma Shri Award, provided the government keeps away Brij Bhushan and his close aides from the wrestling body.

“We were accused of being politically charged, they said we are divided by our region. It was portrayed like Haryana vs UP. We won medals for the country. They were threatening everyone. Is Brij Bhushan bigger than the government?” he said.

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat hoped that the next generation of wrestlers would not have to go through what they endured when Brij Bhushan was the WFI chief.

“Had we accepted defeat, women across the world, be it wrestling or in any field, would struggle to raise their voices. WFI should have people who should be good for wrestlers, especially women; we have been saying this from the beginning. I hope the things we have tolerated, others don’t have to. That’s our fight,” Phogat was quoted as saying in an interview with Aaj Tak.

The Indain Olympic Association, according to sources, is all set to appoint a new ad-hoc committee to oversee daily affairs of the WFI. Sources also told India Today TV that Sanjay Singh camp might take the legal route against the suspension of the WFI body.