31-year-old Olympic Medalist, Sakshi Malik announced to quit Wrestling in tears in a press conference on December 21. The 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medalist wrestler has led the protest against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Chief Brij Bhushan Singh since the last month of January.
The acclaimed sports- woman made the decision after Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s follower Sanjay Singh won the Wrestling Federation of India presidential election on Thursday.
“We fought from our heart but if a man like Brij Bhushan, his business partner and a close aide is elected as the president of WFI, I quit wrestling,” said Sakshi Malik while quitting.
The Sanjay-led panel won 13 of the 15 posts in the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections on Thursday. Sanjay won the post of WFI Chief. He Got 40 out of 47 votes, Beating Commonwealth Games gold medalist Anita Sheoran.
Anita, the assualted victim was supported by the witness, Bajrang Punia, who pleaded with Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur several times to prevent Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh or anyone close to him from contesting the elections of the Wrestling Federation of India.
Neither BJP MP Brij Bhusan’s son Prateek nor his son-in-law Vishal Singh entered the fray. However, Sanjay, close to Brijbhushan, fought the election and won the election.
There was so much agitation against Brij Bhushan Singh for allegedly sexually harassing women wrestlers. Sakshi could not accept the fact that his close aide, Sanjay Singh, became the Chief.
Sakshi Malik told the press conference today, “I slept on the street for 40 days. I want to thank the people of the country who came to support us during the protests earlier this year. If Brij Bhushan Singh’s business partner and a close associate are elected president of WFI, I quit wrestling”.
Why the protests were made against Brij Bhushan Singh?
BJP MP Brij Bhushan was accused of sexual harassment. The Delhi Police is still investigating his case. He sexually assaulted a junior female wrestler during a national camp. In June, he was alleged for sexually harassing six female wrestlers, including a minor, while leading the WFI. Such claims were also made by Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik.
Thus, they demanded to take away power from Brijbhushan.
Sakshi Malik became a spokesperson for harassment and discrimination for female athletes in India.
Even famous wrestlers sat on strike day after day. But on Thursday, a new controversy arose in Delhi.
Singh was removed from his administrative duties in January as a result of the allegations. The protesting members of Common wealth games wanted no one close to Singh to come to power but Sanjay defeated Anita Sheoran of the Commonwealth Games.
Brij Bhushan’s Business partner Sanjay Singh became WFI’s President. So Sakshi Malik decided to retire out of anger and shame.
Sakshi Malik’s Journey From Haryanvi village to Olympic Rio
•Early Life
Haryanvi wrestler Sakshi Malik’s journey from a childhood dream of flying to winning bronze at the world’s biggest sporting event has not been easy. It’s a long journey. She won India’s 25th Olympic medal and achieved first women’s wrestling medal at the age of 23.
Born and brought up in Mokhra, a small village in Haryana’s Rohtak district, Sakshi’s childhood love for sports was born from playing kabaddi and cricket.
Gradually, wrestling became her favorite sport when she started “winning bouts”. seeing her indomitable passion for wrestling, her parents admitted her to the Akhara at Chhotu Ram Stadium at the age of 12 and Sakshi began her training session under the guidance of Ishwar Dahiya.
Struggle and achievements
There was some strict restrictions on her diet. She had to be on a strict liquid- and carbohydrate-free diet before the game. Also, for the last year, She was living in the hostel of the Sports Authority of India and was preparing vigorously. The Phogat family was her mantra. The eldest of the Phogat sisters, Geeta, who qualified for the 2012 London Games, was a huge inspiration for Sakshi.
Sakshi made her first foray into the international arena by winning bronze at the Junior World Championships in 2010. Then, She proved herself by winning a silver medal at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014.
Olimpic Bronze Winner
In September 2014, Sakshi was defeated in the quarter-finals at the World Wrestling Championships in Tashkent. However, at the 2016 Olympics, unfortunately for the Rio Games, Geeta Bhogat’s sister Vinesh retired from the tournament due to an injury during her bout, Sakshi defeated the world champion through sheer force of wilpower to give India that long-awaited wrestling medal.
Sakshi Malik won bronze on the eleventh day of the Rio Olympics. In a tough patch of wrestling, she won in freestyle wrestling in the 58 kg category against an opponent who was leading 5-0 in the first bout. In the second half, however, Sakshi made a great fightback. Winning the final score of 8–5, was a dramatic moment.
On this day, she won 12-3 against Mongolia’s Orkhon in the second round. Sakshi then won India’s first medal in Rio by defeating Aisuluu Tynbekova of Kyrgyzstan in the bronze medal match. Before the start of India’s medal journey on the field of Rio, Sakshi seemed to be quite behind in the crowd of star faces, one after another but Sakshi did not give up hope.
