Olympic medal-winning wrestlers Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia have accused the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) of using underhanded tactics to get their suspension lifted by the United World Wrestling (UWW). The UWW recently lifted the provisional suspension on India but required guarantees from the WFI that there would be no discriminatory action against the protesting athletes.
The suspension was initially imposed by the UWW in August last year after the WFI failed to hold elections on time. Punia, Malik, and fellow wrestler Vinesh Phogat have been protesting for over a year, demanding the arrest of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on allegations of sexually harassing women grapplers.
In a video posted on social media, Sakshi Malik stated, We came to know yesterday that Sanjay Singh had done some setting with UWW to get the suspension lifted. Brij Bhushan and Sanjay Singh have left no stone unturned to show that they are above the law. She also emphasized that if Brij Bhushan’s loyalists are allowed to govern the WFI, the wrestlers will resume their agitation against the body.
Punia echoed Malik’s sentiments in his own video message, highlighting the recent appointment of Brij Bhushan’s son as the president of the Uttar Pradesh wrestling body, despite earlier claims that no one from Brij Bhushan’s family would be involved in wrestling administration. Punia urged the government to ensure that Brij Bhushan, his family, and associates are permanently barred from governing the sport.
In response to the wrestlers’ accusations, Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said, We will let you know what we will do. Sakshi Malik asserted that their protest had only been suspended and warned that they would restart their demonstration if necessary.
The WFI had previously been suspended after violating its own constitution by announcing the dates of the age-group nationals at short notice. Sakshi also alleged that the WFI misused federation funds by organizing parallel nationals and threatening coaches and referees.
Malik called for the government to appoint trustworthy individuals to govern the federation and ensure the fair treatment of athletes. She stated that if this did not happen, they would have no choice but to resume their protest.
The future course of action for the protesting wrestlers will be decided in the coming days as they communicate with others involved in the movement. The ongoing conflict between the wrestlers and the WFI highlights the deep-rooted issues within Indian wrestling and the urgent need for systemic changes.
It remains to be seen how the government and the WFI will respond to the allegations made by Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia and whether their concerns will be addressed to avoid a further escalation of the situation.
