Sakshee Malikkh announced retirement from wrestling after Sanjay Singh won the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) presidential elections on Thursday. Sakshee said she won't compete under the presidency of Brij Bhushan loyalist. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the outgoing president of WFI is accused of sexual harassment.
The UP Wrestling Association vice-president contested against Commonwealth Games gold medalist Anita Sheoran and secured the presidency.
This signals the potential reinstatement of the Indian Wrestling Federation's status with the global wrestling body, United World Wrestling (UWW). The UWW had suspended the WFI due to the delay in conducting elections, forcing Indian wrestlers to compete as neutral athletes in recent global competitions.
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Who is Anita Sheoran?
Anita Sheoran, a 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, emerged as the only woman among the four nominees contending for the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) presidency. She competed against Sanjay Kumar Singh in the recent elections.
Anita, 39, garnered support from Olympic medallists Sakshee Malikkh, Bajrang Punia, and Vinesh Phogat. The trio were at the forefront of the protests against Brij Bhusah.
Wrestlers protest against Brij Bhushan
In January 2023, top Indian wrestlers protested in New Delhi over the inaction against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accused of sexual harassment. Brij Bhushan is a BJP MP from Kaiserganj and was the head of the country's wrestling federation by then.
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The protests persisted for months, with some athletes arrested, and facing charges of rioting and disorder.
Amid the turmoil, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) was suspended by the global wrestling body, due to the failure to hold elections following charges against Singh. He faces prosecution for sexual harassment, molestation and stalking of women wrestlers, as outlined in the Delhi Police chargesheet.
