Sakshi Malik says her mother is getting threat calls, 'WFI without Sanjay Singh is acceptable'

Sakshi Malik on Wednesday said that her mother has been “getting threats” through phone calls as “Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s goons have become active”. The former wrestler made the claims during a press conference at her residence in Delhi where she also said that she would have no “issues” with the newly-elected Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) if Sanjay Singh, who was recently elected as president, stays away from the federation. “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,” Malik said. “People on social media are abusing us but they should remember that they have sisters and daughters at their home.” Sanjay, a close aide of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh who has been accused of sexual harassment by wrestlers, was elected as WFI president after sweeping the polls on 21 December following which the 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi retired from wrestling. “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 said. “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.” “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.”

“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.” The newly-elected WFI was suspended by the Sports Ministry on 24 December for not following its constitution and for being “in complete control of former office bearers”. Sakshi also urged the newly-appointed ad-hoc panel to quickly conduct age group nationals. “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.” She also ruled out her trying to become a sports administrator in the future. “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. On junior wrestlers’ protest at Jantar Mantar against Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and her, she said, “I have given 18-20 years to wrestling. Only I know what I have gone through in the last few months.”