Wrestler Sakshi Malik alleges receiving threat calls, says Brij Bhushan's goons are 'active'

The 2016 Olympic medallist earlier retired amid WFI elections.

The wrestling scenario in India is in a state of chaos as the rift between the top wrestlers and the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has escalated to a new level. Sakshi Malik, the bronze medallist at the 2016 Rio Olympics got harassed and threatened by the supporters of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Sakshi Malik said that her mother has been receiving threatening phone calls from the ‘goons’ of Brij Bhushan and that her safety was the government’s responsibility. She said that she was mentally and physically exhausted for the past year and did not know what to do next. She also said that she wanted the junior girls to fulfill what she could not and win medals for the country.

Sakshi Malik was not alone in her dissent against the WFI. Bajrang Punia, former world championships medallist in the 65 kg category and Vinesh Phogat also joined her in renouncing their national awards. The three wrestlers have been the face of the protest against Brij Bhushan, who they allege has been running the federation in an autocratic and corrupt manner.

The WFI, however, has refused to acknowledge the grievances of the wrestlers and has challenged the authority of the ad-hoc committee set up by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) after the sports ministry suspended the federation for announcing nationals without following the rules. Sanjay Singh, the president of the suspended WFI, said they do not recognize the ad-hoc panel and will organize their national championships. He also claimed that they had not violated any rules and had written to the sports ministry to revoke the suspension.

The situation took an ugly turn on Wednesday when a group of junior wrestlers from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Delhi staged a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi against Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat. The junior wrestlers carried banners that read: “UWW save our wrestling from these 3 wrestlers”. They blamed the trio for spoiling the wrestling careers of the juniors and creating a rift in the wrestling fraternity.

The protest was condemned by many senior wrestlers and coaches, who said that the junior wrestlers were being misguided and manipulated by the WFI. They also said that the protest insulted the achievements and contributions of Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Vinesh Phogat, who have brought laurels to the country in various international events.

The wrestling crisis in India has exposed the deep-rooted problems in the administration and governance of the sport. It has also put the future of the wrestlers in jeopardy, as they face uncertainty and insecurity in their pursuit of excellence. The need of the hour is to resolve the conflict amicably and restore the dignity and harmony of the sport.

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