Gonda: Following the revocation of the ban on the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) by the Union Sports Ministry, former WFI president Brij Bhushan Singh expressed his gratitude to the ministry for restoring its status as a National Sports Federation (NSF) for wrestling. He also took a jab at the wrestlers and politicians who had participated in the protests against the federation, asserting that the "intentions of the conspirators were not fulfilled."

The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports lifted the suspension on the WFI, reinstating its recognition as a National Sports Federation (NSF) for the sport. This move came after the suspension of the WFI body in December 2023 when the newly elected president, Sanjay Singh, announced the hosting of the U-15 and U-20 national wrestling tournaments at Nandini Nagar in Gonda district, Uttar Pradesh.

Speaking to ANI, Brij Bhushan remarked, "This struggle lasted for about 26 months, and today the Wrestling Federation has been reinstated by the government. Therefore, we want to thank the government and the Sports Minister, Mansukh Mandaviya."

He continued, "If anyone has suffered due to this, it is the players, particularly the junior wrestlers. The conspirators involved in this had their intentions thwarted. We will only say that the federation should resume conducting all the wrestling tournaments and camps that used to happen earlier, as they had been suspended. A lot of wrestlers from poor backgrounds rely on these camps for their diet and training."

The protests against the WFI and its former president Brij Bhushan Singh gained momentum in 2023, spearheaded by top wrestlers like Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia, who accused Singh of sexual assault.

In August 2023, United World Wrestling (UWW) imposed a ban on WFI due to its failure to organise elections within the stipulated time, following the sexual harassment allegations and the ongoing protests. An ad hoc committee was set up by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to oversee the federation’s activities.

In December 2023, elections were held, and Sanjay Singh was elected as the new WFI president. However, the wrestlers continued their protests, claiming that Singh was a close associate of the former president. Soon after, the Ministry suspended the federation once again after Singh announced the hosting of the U-15 and U-20 nationals. This prompted the IOA to set up another ad hoc committee to manage the day-to-day affairs.

The ad hoc committee was dissolved in March 2024, with the IOA stating that the committee was no longer needed following the lifting of the UWW ban on WFI and the successful completion of selection trials for upcoming competitions. UWW had lifted the ban on WFI in February 2024, marking a significant step towards restoring the credibility of Indian wrestling.