Sakshi quits wrestling as close associate of Brij Bhushan becomes new WFI president

They may have been famous for their never-give-up spirit on the wrestling mat, but on Thursday, Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, and Sakshi Malik seemed beaten.

Wrestlers Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat break down during a press conference as Bajrang Punia watches on. | Photo Credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap/The Hindu

On Thursday evening, wrestler Sakshi Malik left her shoes on the table in front of her after interacting with the media. It was more than what met the eye—the equivalent of boxers hanging up their gloves and calling time on their careers.

And while Sakshi, one of India’s most accomplished wrestlers, might have hoped to have left her boots on the synthetic mat—the scene of a wrestler’s hardest battles—the fact that she left them on a podium in front of journalists was symbolic of the nature of the fight she has been fighting this year.

Sakshi Malik’s shoes are seen on the table at the Press Club in New Delhi. | Photo Credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap/ The Hindu

With the gesture, it seemed even the only Indian woman to medal at the Olympics in wrestling knew this battle was heading towards its conclusion.

It wasn’t just her, though. They may have been famous for their never-give-up spirit on the wrestling mat, but on Thursday, Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, and Sakshi seemed beaten. 

READ | Sanjay Singh elected president of Wrestling Federation of India

They had shaken the foundations of Indian sport at the start of 2023 when they raised serious allegations of sexual misconduct against then-Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. However, despite a few landmark victories, they admit that their fight might have come up short. 

New president a close aide of old president

Earlier on Thursday, elections to pick a new governing council of the WFI were conducted. The earlier federation, headed by Brij Bhushan, had been dissolved by the Sports Ministry, following the allegations. The MP from Kaiserganj was found liable for prosecution for sexual harassment, molestation, and stalking of women wrestlers in the chargesheet of Delhi Police.

Sanjay Singh, newly-elected president of the Wrestling Federation of India. | Photo Credit: Manvender Vashist Lav

At the conclusion of the elections, it seems little has changed, at least in matters of administration. Sanjay Singh, elected as the new president, happens to be a close associate of Brij Bhushan. Sanjay, the head of the Uttar Pradesh Wrestling Federation, defeated Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning wrestler Anita Sheoran by 40 votes to 7.

Sheoran was a witness and a corroborator in the case against Brij Bhushan.

Of the 15 posts for which the elections were held, all but three were won by the faction headed by Sanjay. 

There was no doubt as to who the victors ultimately held allegiance to. When the results were announced, shouts of “Brij Bhushan Singh zindabad, Sanjay Singh zindabad (long live Brij Bhushan Singh, long live Sanjay Singh) rang out at New Delhi’s Indian Olympic Bhawan, the venue where the elections were conducted.

Supporters celebrate at BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s residence after Sanjay Singh became the new president of the Wrestling Federation of India. | Photo Credit: Manvender Vashist Lav

Even as the winners were carried about on the shoulders of their supporters, garlanded with chains of marigolds, and then taken to the home of Brij Bhushan Singh at his MP’s residence in Central Delhi’s Ashoka Road, the wrestlers whose protest had caused the elections to be conducted in the first place tried to make sense of the situation.

‘The fight will continue’

“We tried to fight a man who we knew was sexually harassing women wrestlers. He used his power to then change the narrative of our fight to politics or religion. He did this because he has that power. You saw this, and we saw this. We thought we could win this fight on our own. Our fight will continue. But perhaps this will be won by another generation of fighters,” Bajrang said at the press conference organised by the wrestlers. 

Vinesh—the most successful Indian woman wrestler with two world medals—spoke about how her hopes had been dashed. She said, “The government had promised that there would be a woman president. Instead, there’s not a single woman who has been elected. This (Sanjay Singh) is Brij Bhushan’s right-hand man. Apne khud ke bete se bhi zyada khaas hai (He is closer to him than his own son). Now that he is president, the coming batch of female wrestlers will also fall prey to them. What has happened behind closed doors will happen in the open.”

While he held out hope for the future, Bajrang, who has four World medals and an Olympic bronze, admitted his own future might be on its last legs. “Whoever was a part of the protests, be it us, the coaches or the wrestlers, none of our futures are safe. Anything can happen to any of us. It can be a car accident or any kind of accusation from A to Z. All of us and the country have now seen his power and way of working,” he said. 

There seemed to be little inclination for conciliation from the newly appointed president. “ Jinko kushti karni hai, woh kushti karein. Jinko rajneeti karni hai, woh rajneeti karein. Rajneeti ka jawaab rajneeti ke akhade mein diya jaayega (Those who want to compete, they should wrestle. Those who want to do politics, should do politics. Those who want to indulge in politics, will be answered in the political arena),” he said after his victory was declared.

While the road ahead seems to be a hard one for Bajrang and Vinesh, it’s all but over for Sakshi as she herself admits. 

“ Yeh ladai dil se ladi hai (We have fought this fight with all our might). If Brij Bhushan’s business partner will be a part of the WFI, then I will quit wrestling. I thank all the Indians who have supported me all this time.” A teary-eyed Sakshi then walked out of the press conference.