WFI row- ‘My mother is getting death threats from Brij Bhushan’s supporters,’ alleges Sakshi Malik

WFI row: ‘My mother is getting death threats from Brij Bhushan’s supporters,’ alleges Sakshi Malik

Olympics champion Sakshi Malik on Wednesday said that she has no issues with the newly-elected Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), if Sanjay Singh, a close aide of BJP MP and former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, is kept away from the apex wrestling body. She also alleged that her mother has been receiving threat calls allegedly from Brij Bhushan’s supporters.

On December 21, Malik announced retirement from the sport in protest against the election of Sanjay Singh as WFI chief.

“The government is like parents for us and I would request them to make wrestling safe for the upcoming wrestlers. You have seen how Sanjay Singh has been behaving. I don’t want Sanjay Singh’s interference in the federation,” the 2016 Rio Olympic Games bronze medallist added.

Malik also said that her family is at the receiving end of getting threats.

“For past two-three days, Brij Bhushan’s goons have become very active. My mother is getting threats via phone calls. People are calling and saying that a case will be registered against someone in my family.

People on social media are abusing us but they should remember that they have sisters and daughters at their home,” the wrestler said.

VIDEO | "We knew Brij Bhushan (Sharan Singh) is influential, but we had no idea he would be this powerful. Now, his propaganda is to make allegations that we have been grabbing young wrestlers' opportunities. However, now that I have retired, I want young girls to win and fulfill… pic.twitter.com/YwTMHRsfYf

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 3, 2024

The 31-year-old wrestler also said that everyone witnessed how Brij Bhushan allegedly “abused” his powers after the WFI elections as he announced junior nationals at his home without any discussion.

She also requested the ad-hoc panel, which was formed after the suspension of the new WFI body, to conduct age group nationals at the earliest.

“I don’t want any young wrestler suffer because of us. The ad-hoc committee has already announced senior nationals and I request the ad-hoc committee to announce the U15, U17 and U20 nationals.”

Junior wrestlers protest at Jantar Mantar

Her statements come at a day when hundreds of junior wrestlers assembled at Delhi’s iconic protest site Jantar Mantar for a symbolic three-hour protest against the loss of one crucial year of their careers. They blamed India’s top wrestlers – Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat – who have been leading the protest since January last year, for the state of affairs, reports PTI.

Around 300 junior wrestlers from different parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi shouted slogans against the three. Reportedly, the police were caught unawares. Some protesters carried banners that read, ‘UWW (United World Wrestling) save our wrestling from these 3 wrestlers’. The protesters also defaced the placards bearing images of the three wrestlers before trampling them.

Junior wrestlers hold placards during a protest against wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat at Jantar Mantar, in New Delhi, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024. (PTI Photo)

“It was a symbolic protest. We are giving 10 days’ time to the government to revoke the suspension of the new WFI and allow it to hold age group nationals.

“If they don’t do it, we will start returning our Arjuna and other awards to the government just like Bajrang and Vinesh have done,” said Greco-Roman wrestler Sunil Rana, who is an Arjuna awardee and a bronze medallist from the 2023 Asian Games, as quoted by PTI.

In a memorandum, Sunil Rana, coach Naresh Dahiya, wrestlers Nikki and Varun Gujjar apart from Rajendra ‘pehlwan’, demanded that “the government should listen to not just the three wrestlers but the entire fraternity.