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Posted by admin on 2023-12-26 |

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Indian Olympic medalist wrestler Sakshi Malik has announced her retirement from wrestling. The 31-year-old athlete, renowned for her historic bronze medal win at the 2016 Rio Olympics, made the announcement during a news conference in New Delhi. Her retirement came in response to the recent leadership change in the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).

Malik, who has been actively working in the commercial department of the Northern Railways, Delhi Division, since her wrestling career, expressed her grievances at the conference. She mentioned the challenging circumstances she and other protesters faced earlier in the year: "We slept for 40 days on the roads, and a lot of people from several parts of the country came to support us."

“If Brij Bhushan Singh’s business partner and a close aide are elected as the president of WFI, I quit wrestling,” she said before leaving the conference with tears in her eyes.

Causes, Grievances, and Protests

Brij Bhushan Singh, a six-time parliamentarian and member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), faced charges in June for allegedly sexually harassing six female wrestlers, including a minor, during his tenure leading the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). He was relieved of his administrative duties in January, and the government pledged to investigate the accusations. Despite assurances, protests by athletes, including Malik and others, intensified in April when the government refused to disclose the findings of the inquiry panel.

Asked about Malik’s decision to quit, 66-year-old Brij Bhushan Singh on Thursday said, “I have nothing to do with it.”

Sanjay Singh, an acolyte of the Brij Bhushan Singh, emerged as the elected president, securing 13 out of 15 posts. This outcome was met with disappointment from top wrestlers like Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, and Bajrang Punia, who had actively advocated for a change in leadership at the federation. Sanjay Singh garnered 40 votes, while his rival, 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medalist Anita Sheoran, received only seven.

“It’s a very big victory of truth over lies,” Sanjay Singh told members of the media.

Former WFI officials note that Sanjay Singh's involvement in wrestling began formally in 2008 when he served as the district president of the Varanasi association. A year later, he became the vice-president when the Uttar Pradesh Wrestling Association was established, with Brij Bhushan elected as the president.

“He (Sanjay Singh) is Brij Bhushan’s right-hand man. He is more special to him than his own son. Now that he is president, the coming batch of women wrestlers will also fall prey,” Vinesh Phogat said.

Vijender Singh’s Disappointment

Vijender Singh, a prominent Indian boxer, expressed disappointment over Malik's retirement: "As a player, it feels very bad because, after a lot of hard work, an athlete reaches that level. She is an Olympic medallist, a Commonwealth Games medallist, and an Asian Games medallist. All these wrestlers, including Sakshi, Vinesh, and Bajrang, have won medals at the highest level for the country."

Later at a press conference, the boxer claimed that the sports industry was upset with Malik's retirement. "We will go to every player, every stadium, and every 'akhada' and speak to them about women's safety, the employment of the athletes, and we will stand with them...," he said.

Reacting to Malik's retirement, Brij Bhushan Singh denied any involvement, stating, "I have nothing to do with it."

Continued Struggle

Malik's concerns expressed apprehensions about potential future issues for women wrestlers and emphasized unfulfilled demands, "The demand we made has not been fulfilled. Our demand was for a female president. If there is a female president, there won't be oppression. But there was no participation of women before. Today, if you look at the list, women have not been given any place. I just want to say that we fought this battle with complete determination. This fight will continue because the coming generation, the sons and daughters, will have to fight this battle.”

A Glorious Career

Sakshi Malik was born on September 3, 1992, in the Mokhra village of Rohtak district in Haryana, India. She started her wrestling training at the age of 12 at the Chhotu Ram Stadium in Rohtak, with coach Ishwar Dahiya. During this time, Sakshi also completed a master's degree in physical education from Maharishi Dayanand University in Rohtak. She achieved her greatest recognition at the 2016 Rio Olympics when she made history by winning a bronze medal in the 58 kg category. At that time, she became the first Indian woman wrestler to win a medal at the Olympics. In 2022, Malik added to her illustrious career by winning a gold medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. Her participation in the Yasar Dogu Tournament in Istanbul and a bronze medal at the Tunis Ranking Series event in Tunisia showcased her continued commitment to the sport. Earlier achievements include a silver medal in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and a bronze medal in the 2015 Asian Wrestling Championship in Doha.