The Olympian declared her decision to quit wrestling on Thursday as Sanjay Singh, Brij Bhushan’s loyalist, got elected as the new WFI President
Sakshee Malikkh Quits: The Olympian breaks down while announcing her decision to quit wrestling Source: PTI
Sakshee Malikkh, the bronze medallist at the Rio Olympics, made an emotional statement to the media, announcing her decision to retire from wrestling. She expressed her deep disappointment with the election of Sanjay Singh as the president of the Wrestling Federation of India.
Sanjay Singh, a loyalist of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, secured victory by defeating former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Anita Sheoran with a significant margin of 40 votes to 7. These highly anticipated WFI elections took place in New Delhi on Thursday, December 21.
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Olympian Sakshee Malikkh Quits Wrestling
During a press conference in the capital, Sakshee Malikkh expressed her disappointment with the Sports Ministry for failing to fulfill their promises to the wrestlers regarding the exclusion of Bhushan Sharan Singh’s family and close aides. Sakshee emphasized that Sanjay Singh, the former vice-president of the Uttar Pradesh Wrestling Federation, held a significant position as Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s right-hand man.
Sakshee Malikkh, who stood before the press alongside Tokyo Olympics medallist Bajrang Punia, became overwhelmed with emotion, unable to contain her tears. Sakshee expressed her gratitude towards the public and the media for their unwavering support throughout their highly-discussed protest against Bhushan Sharan Singh and the previous administration of the Wrestling Federation of India.
“We spent 40 days sleeping on the streets, and people from various parts of the country came forward to stand by us. If Bhushan Singh’s business partner and trusted associate assumes the role of WFI president, I will retire from wrestling,” the renowned wrestler declared at the Press Club of India on Thursday.
On X, formerly Twitter, she expressed her gratitude to all the countrymen for their blessings, acknowledging that any awards she has received for the country were achieved with their support. She bid farewell to wrestling with these heartfelt words. Following the emotional press conference in the capital, Sakshee was observed departing the venue in tears. When questioned about Sakshi Malik’s statement, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the former WFI chief, downplayed his involvement by stating, “I have no connection to this matter.”
Source: X
Anita Sheoran’s Loss
Sakshee, along with other wrestlers, protested against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a member of the Bhartiya Janata Party and a Member of Parliament. They supported Anita Sheoran’s bid to become the president of the Wrestling Federation of India, aiming to make her the first-ever female president of the national wrestling body. However, Anita lost the elections, receiving only 7 out of 47 votes.
Sakshee expressed their demands for a woman president, emphasizing that having a female president would prevent harassment. They highlighted the lack of women’s participation in the past and the absence of any women holding positions currently. Despite their efforts, Sakshee stated that the fight would continue, urging the new generation of wrestlers to persevere.
Singh’s arrest was being demanded by prominent Olympians such as Vinesh Phogat, Sakshee Malikkh, and Bajrang Punia, as they protested for several months regarding allegations of sexual harassment involving seven wrestlers, one of whom was a minor.
In June, the protest was finally called off when a chargesheet was filed against Bhushan Sharan Singh. The complaints against the chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) detailed instances of inappropriate touching, including placing his hand on the chests of girls, moving his hand from their chests to their backs, and even chasing them.
Charges against Brij Bhushan
The primary evidence in Delhi Police’s chargesheet consists of two photographs taken in 2019, which depict Mr Bhushan “making advances towards (one) complainant” in Kazakhstan. The chargesheet includes specific details provided by the wrestlers, highlighting instances of repeated sexual harassment by Brij Bhushan. Out of the 108 witnesses, 15 have been examined and their statements have been found to corroborate the wrestlers’ accounts.
The complaints against the WFI chief involve allegations of inappropriate touching, placing his hand over the girls’ chest, moving his hand from the chest to the back, and pursuing them, among other actions
