Sakshi Malik quits wrestling after Brij Bhushan's aide Sanjay Singh becomes WFI president

By Ajay Gandhar

Ajay Gandhar has been part of Khel Now since 2023 and has covered almost every Olympic sport, but Badminton, Tennis, Football, and Track and Field have his heart.

Published at :December 21, 2023 at 7:08 PM

Modified at :January 14, 2024 at 12:30 AM

Sakshi Malik quits wrestling after Brij Bhushan's aide Sanjay Singh becomes WFI president

(Courtesy : Twitter Screenshot)

Malik was the first Indian woman wrestler to win Olympic medal.

Sakshi Malik, the first Indian woman wrestler to win an Olympic medal, has decided to quit the sport after Sanjay Singh was elected as the new president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Thursday. She expressed her frustration and disappointment over the election results, which she said were unfair and biased.

“We protested for 40 days on the streets, but we are grateful to the people who supported us. But I cannot continue wrestling if the WFI president is the business partner and close friend of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. I quit wrestling…” Malik said at a press conference in New Delhi.

"…. If Brij Bhushan's business partner and close aide is elected as the president of the Wrestling Federation of India, then I quit wrestling…"@SakshiMalik has announced her retirement in an emotional press conference.#Wrestling #WFI #SakshiMalik pic.twitter.com/m9talXpez2
— Khel Now (@KhelNow) December 21, 2023

Sanjay Singh, who is the vice president of the Uttar Pradesh Wrestling Association and a loyalist of Brij Bhushan, won the WFI presidential election by a huge margin of 40 votes to 7. He defeated Anita Sheoran, a former India wrestler and a Commonwealth Games gold medallist, who was the preferred candidate of the protesting wrestlers.

The WFI elections, which were due in July, had been delayed due to legal battles filed by some of the unhappy wrestlers. They had accused Brij Bhushan, who had been the WFI president since 2012 and is now a BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh, of corruption, nepotism, and sexual harassment of women wrestlers. They had also demanded that the WFI elections be transparent and impartial, without the influence of Brij Bhushan or his associates. They had sought the intervention of the sports minister and the Supreme Court.

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The international federation, United World Wrestling, had also suspended the WFI for failing to conduct fresh polls on time. The Supreme Court recently removed the stay imposed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, allowing the election process to resume.

The protesting wrestlers, who include Olympic and world champions like Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, have reacted angrily and bitterly to Sanjay Singh’s election. They have vowed to continue their fight for their rights and the future of Indian wrestling. They have also questioned the validity and legitimacy of the WFI elections and the role of the sports ministry and the Indian Olympic Association in monitoring them.

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Ajay Gandhar

Ajay Gandhar has been part of Khel Now since 2023 and has expertise across a wide range of Olympic sports. While his coverage spans the Olympic spectrum, he is passionate about Badminton, Tennis, Football, and Track and Field. Beyond his primary focus areas, Ajay is also an avid kabaddi enthusiast and closely follows the sport.