Rio Olympic bronze medallist Sakshee Malikkh has downplayed her chances of joining the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), saying she is mentally and physically exhausted.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has formed a three-member ad-hoc committee to oversee the functioning of WFI following the wrestling body’s suspension by the Sports Ministry.
The crisis around WFI took a new twist as hundreds of junior wrestlers assembled at Jantar Mantar to protest against Bajrang Punia, Malikkh and Vinesh Phogat, blaming the top grapplers for a loss of one crucial year in their careers.
Speaking to PTI, Malikhh said she didn’t know former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was this powerful, while reposnding to the allegations that they’re grabbing the opportunities of young wrestlers. Close to 300 wrestlers from Utthar Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana protested against the three wrestlers at Jantar Mantar.
“We knew Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is influential, but we had no idea he would be this powerful. Now, his propaganda is to make allegations that we have been grabbing young wrestlers’ opportunities. However, now that I have retired, I want young girls to win and fulfill my dream,” said Malikhh.
She went on to say that she’s mentally and physically exhausted while playing down her ambitions of joining the WFI. National camps and competitions have been on hold since the last one year as the WFI has been suspended twice.
“I have been mentally and physically exhausted for the past year. So, I haven’t thought about even joining (the wrestling federation), but I would request an increase in women’s participation in the federation, that would be beneficial for the young wrestlers,” Malikhh added.
Meanwhile, newly-elected WFI president Sanjay Singh hit out at the IOA-appointed ad-hoc panel, saying that neither he nor the WFI body would recognise the ad-hoc panel.
Singh, speaking to India Today, said that the ad-hoc panel was formed without consulting him or the other elected members of the WFI, while insisting that he was the elected following an electoral process that was mandated by the Supreme Court.
