Sakshi Malik raises concerns over suspended WFI president's activities

New Delhi: Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik has voiced her apprehensions about the suspended president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), Sanjay Singh, allegedly organising championships and distributing fake certificates.

Malik questioned how a suspended official can misuse federation funds and emphasised the potential repercussions for athletes using such fraudulent certificates.

In a post on X, Malik said, "The national wrestling championship organised by the Sports Ministry is to be held in Jaipur, but Sanjay Singh is illegally organising a separate national championship to assert his dominance and signing certificates."

She expressed concerns about the future challenges sportspersons may face when seeking jobs based on these certificates, urging Sports Minister Anurag Thakur to intervene and take action against Singh.

Last month, the newly-elected panel of the WFI was suspended by the Centre over the abrupt announcement of Under-15 and Under-20 nationals. The ministry accused the new body of operating under the control of former office-bearers, including former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

The suspension came amid allegations of sexual harassment against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, triggering protests from top wrestlers, including Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Vinesh Phogat. Following numerous delays and court battles, a new panel election was held in December, leading to the election of Sanjay Singh as president.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the election results, Sakshi Malik previously announced her decision to retire from wrestling during a media interaction, and Bajrang Punia returned his Padma Shri in protest.

The subsequent suspension of the WFI by the Sports Ministry cited non-compliance with the WFI constitution and highlighted that the Federation would not oversee day-to-day wrestling activities until further notice.