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Sakshi Malik on January 3 insisted that she has no issues with the newly-elected Wrestling Federation of India if Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh-loyalist Sanjay Singh is kept away from the body.

Malik had announced her retirement from the sport on December 21 in protest against the election of Sanjay Singh as WFI President.

The 2016 Rio Olympic Games bronze medallist also claimed that her mother has been receiving threat calls from former WFI chief Brij Bhushan’s supporters.

Malik, 31, said they will accept a WFI without Sanjay Singh but ruled out her own involvement in running of the federation.

Also Read | Wrestling Federation of India timeline | From allegations, elections to suspension

“We don’t have any issues with the new federation except one man, Sanjay Singh. We don’t have any issue if the new body comes back without Sanjay Singh. We do not have any issue with the ad-hoc committee as well,” Malik told reporters.

“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,” she added.

“I can only make a request. If the ministry says he won’t come back it will be better. Everybody saw the kind of power abuse by Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh after the WFI elections. He announced junior nationals at his home without much deliberation.”

Sanjay Singh had defeated 2010 CWG gold medallist Anita Sheoran by a huge 40-7 margin.

Prem Chand Lochab, who was from the Sheoran panel and had the backing of Malik, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, was elected secretary general.

Sakshi also requested the ad-hoc panel to conduct age group nationals at the earliest.

“I don’t want that any young wrestler suffers 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.”

Fresh protest erupts in Indian wrestling

Interestingly, hundreds of junior wrestlers assembled at Jantar Mantar to protest against the loss of one crucial year of their careers, a situation for which they blamed top grapplers Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat.

Malik then revealed that her family is getting threats.

Also Read | Protesting wrestlers “past their prime, don’t want juniors to progress”, says suspended WFI President Sanjay Singh

“For past two-three days, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s goons have become active. My mother is getting threats through 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.” Asked if she would consider becoming a sports administrator, Malik replied in a negative.

“I am disturbed. We just want that junior wrestlers to not suffer. As of now I don’t have it in my mind.

“We are being blamed for junior wrestlers’ loss and that’s incorrect. If women are involved in running of sport, that will be good,” she said.

When informed about junior wrestlers’ protest against them at Jantar Mantar, Malik said, “I have given 18-20 years to wrestling. Only I know what I have gone through in the last few months.”

Loaded in buses, the junior wrestlers arrived from different parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi, catching the police unaware.

Close to 300 of them came from Arya Samaj Akhara in Chhaprauli, Baghpat while many others came from the Virender Wrestling Academy in Narela. The security personnel struggled to control them as they shouted slogans against Punia, Malik and Phogat.

The protesters were carrying banners that read: ‘UWW save our wrestling from these 3 wrestlers’.

“More than 90% of Akharas (training centres) in U.P. are with us in this protest. There are only three wrestlers on one side and lakhs on the other. They have spoilt the careers of lakhs of wrestlers across the country,” said Muzaffarnagar stadium coach Pradeep Kumar. “These people have no respect for national awards. They are leaving them on the roads,” Mr. Kumar added, referring to Punia and Phogat returning their government honours.

“They kept saying that they were protesting for women and junior wrestlers but they have spoilt careers of lakhs after earning all the laurels. Their protest is only to get top WFI posts. Once that happens, they will stop all protests.” Ironically, almost a year back at the same protest site, the top three wrestlers had managed to draw huge support for their cause when they called for the arrest of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accusing him of sexually harassing women wrestlers.

Thousands of people from different sections of society, including farmers groups, social workers, politicians, women’s groups and members of the wrestling fraternity, came out to support Malik, Phogat and Punia.

The three are now facing protests from within their community with those assembled at Jantar Mantar, accusing them of ruining their careers.

Since January 2023, national camps and competitions have been on hold as the WFI has been suspended twice and an ad-hoc panel is running the sport.

“An entire year for these junior wrestlers has gone waste. The new WFI had taken the decision for the welfare of the wrestlers who had not seen even district or state level competitions, leave aside the nationals,” said Vivek Malik who belongs to the Arya Samaj Akhara.

“But the new body was suspended. This body was elected on the instructions of the court but it wasn’t allowed to work and prove itself even for three days. The suspension should be lifted and the WFI should be allowed to function.

“They had the task of completing the wrestling calender before December 31, so what wrong did they do to warrant the suspension?” he asked.

Those protesting on Wednesday demanded that the suspended WFI be restored after disbanding the ad-hoc panel which has been appointed by the sports ministry.

The protesters also defaced the placards bearing images of Punia, Malik and Phogat before trampling them.