Will we send our daughters to the field, boxer Vijender Singh in wrestling class » Today Latest Stories

New Delhi:

Vijender Singh, the first Indian boxer to win an Olympic gold medal, has announced his support for professional wrestler Sakshi Malik amid her fight against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Charan Singh, who was succeeded by his assistant yesterday in the top job. .

Ms Malik announced she was quitting the sport after Sanjay Singh, a long-time aide of Brij Bhushan Charan Singh, won 40 out of 47 votes in the WFI elections.

Ms Malik and other athletes have accused Brij Bhushan Charan Singh of sexual harassment and have demanded action against him.

“Being an athlete, I can understand her pain. The only woman who won a medal in wrestling demanded justice but did not get it. She was hurt by that and retired. Will India’s image in the whole world increase or decrease?” Vijender Singh, who won a bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and later joined the Congress party, told news agency ANI today.

“The entire sports industry is disappointed. They blame that there is discrimination between boys and girls in Haryana, and there are fewer girls. Then, will parents send their daughters to the field?” Vijender Singh said.

“Parents of girls will be concerned that if an Olympic medalist is not given justice, how will we get it? The prime minister, the vice president and the president all need to come forward and answer why this happened… This raises a lot of questions. On the judicial system and the democratic structure.” .

Commonwealth Games gold medalist Anita Sheoran, who was chosen by the protesting wrestlers to be president of the International Wrestling Federation, received just seven votes.

Other prominent wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia also expressed their disappointment with the results. “Now that Sanjay Singh has been elected president of the federation, women wrestlers will continue to face harassment,” Asian and Commonwealth Games gold medalist Vinesh Phogat said through tears while interacting with reporters on Thursday.

Ms. Phogat said she had “no idea how to achieve justice in the country.” “The future of our wrestling career is in the dark. We don’t know where to go,” she said.

Ms Malik said they wanted the wrestling body to have a woman president. “But that did not happen,” she added. “We had a fight, but if the new boss is Brij Bhushan’s assistant and business partner, then I will quit wrestling,” the Olympic bronze medalist said as she placed her shoes on the table.

In January this year, the three wrestlers led a major protest at Jantar Mantar, accusing Brij Bhushan Charan Singh of sexually harassing several wrestlers and demanding action against him. They called off their protest after the government ordered an investigation. It has also been assured to the wrestlers that no aide or relative of Brij Bhushan Charan Singh will be allowed to contest the upcoming WMA elections. While Brij Bhushan’s son Prateek and son-in-law Vishal Singh did not make it to the polls, his aide Sanjay Singh’s nomination was approved.