'I quit wrestling': Sakshi Malik hangs up her boots after Brij Bhushan-aide becomes WFI President

The first reactions of wrestlers have emerged after Sanjay Singh was elected the new president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik have reacted to the election results of WFI. These are the same wrestlers who were involved in the months-long protest against the former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. 

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was forced to step down as the president of the WFI after allegations of sexual abuse and harassment came to light. Fresh elections were held following a series of delays on Thursday, which Sanjay Singh won by 40 votes to 7. Sanjay Singh defeated 2010 CWC gold medalist Anita Sheoran. 

Sakshi Malik quits wrestling

Sanjay Singh is a close aide of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, which is the reason the wrestlers are upset with the results. In a presser on Thursday, CWG gold medalist Sakshi Malik announced that she will no longer play the sport as Sanjay Singh is a business partner of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.  

“We took many years to gather the courage to fight against the WFI. What we had demanded earlier hasn't been fulfilled. This fight is continuing as the future wrestlers will be fighting to restore their rights,” Sakshi Malik said.

"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 is elected as the president of WFI, I quit wrestling..." Sakshi Malik said. 

Vinesh Phogat has said that they have failed despite fighting so hard. She went on to add that seeking justice in India is difficult and they don't know what to do. 

“We are very upset that despite fighting so hard, we failed. We don't know how to seek justice in our country. Now the future generations will be exposed to harassment again as the WFI chief is Bhushan's right-hand. We had exclusively detailed every sort of harassment that happened with the women wrestlers. After waiting for 3-4 months, then we started the agitation at Jantar Mantar. We are very disappointed that the WFI president is a person who's a close aide of Brij Bhushan,” Vinesh Phogat said.

“The entire country wants to know why wrestlers have been quiet for so long. The oversight committee which was formed after the allegations were levelled then the sports minister on camera and record said that nobody from the WFI front wouldn't be made a president. Unfortunately what has happened today is just the opposite. I don't think that our women wrestlers will get justice. The work to break the courage of women wrestlers is still ongoing. Attempts have been made time and time to put pressure on the victims and eyewitnesses to change their statements,” Bajrang Punia said.