Sports industry is upset: Olympics medallist Vijender Singh on Sakshi Malik’s retirement

Boxer Vijender Singh called a press conference and said that the sports industry is upset with Sakshi Malik's retirement after Brij Bhushan Singh's aide Sanjay Singh's appointment as President of Wrestling Federation of India in New Delhi on Friday.

New Delhi: Congress leader and Boxer Vijender Singh held a press conference in Delhi on December 22 and said that the sports industry is upset with Sakshi Malik’s retirement announcement, which came soon after the announcement of the result of Wrestling Federation of India elections (WFI).

Olympic medalist Sakshi Malik announced her retirement from wrestling in a press conference, which was held in Dubai after the WFI elections, where The Brij Bhushan Singh's aide Sanjay Kumar Singh beat opposition leader Anita Sheron 40-7 votes and was appointed as the President of the WFI after getting 40 out off 47 votes while his opposition leader Anita Sheron got only seven.

Speaking at the press conference, Vijender Singh said that he along with his team will go to every player, every stadium and every 'Akhada' and speak to them about the women safety and will stand with them.

“The sports industry is upset with it (wrestler Sakshi Malik's retirement). We will go to every player, every stadium and every 'Akhada' and speak to them about women safety, the employment of the athletes and we will stand with them,” said Vijender Singh.

Earlier, on Thursday, speaking at the press conference, Sakshi Malik teary eyed said, "We slept for 40 days on the roads and a lot of people from several parts of the country came to support us. If Brij Bhushan Singh's business partner and a close aide is elected as the president of WFI, I quit wrestling..."

"Unfortunately, the government did not stand by its word that no Brij Bhushan loyalist will contest the WFI election," Bajrang said. "Upcoming women wrestlers will also face exploitation," Vinesh added.

Before the WFI elections, grapplers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi met Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur and repeatedly requested him to stop anyone associated with Brij Bhushan from contesting the polls. Consequently, neither Brij Bhushan's son Prateek nor son-in-law Vishal Singh entered the fray.

However, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh had remarked that "nothing to do with all of this. I have nothing to do with this"

Reflecting on the reaction of the wrestlers, Brij Bhushan Singh has said that he has "nothing to do with all of this". 'I have nothing to do with this," he remarked.