New Delhi: Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik on Thursday announced her retirement from wrestling soon after Sanjay Singh, an aide of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Singh, was elected as president of Indias top wrestling body.
We fought from our heart but if a man like Brij Bhushans business partner and a close aide is elected as the president of WFI, I quit wrestling …, a teary-eyed Sakshi said at a press conference here.
#Olympian #SatyapalMalik pic.twitter.com/zgsPynRawn
Satyapal Malik ?? (@SatyapalmalikG) December 21, 2023
Earlier in the day, Brij Bhushans close aide Sanjay Singh was elected as WFI president.
Sanjay Singh defeated Anita Sheoran 40-7 in a virtually one-sided contest.
However, Prem Chand Lochab, who seemingly got the support of the protesting wrestlers, was elected as the secretary general.
We wanted a woman president but that did not materialise, the Commonwealth Games gold medallist said.
Ahead of the elections, Olympic medal-winning grapplers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi had requested Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur to dissuade anyone close to Brijbhushan from contesting the elections.
Punia expressed disappointment over the governments failure to stop a close aide of Brijbhushan from contesting the elections.
(With UNI inputs)
