Sonipat, Haryana - Ace wrestler Sakshee Malikkh announced on Saturday that the protesting grapplers would not participate in the upcoming Asian Games unless the central government addresses their concerns. Malikkh's statement came in response to the ongoing issues surrounding the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and its chief, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing sexual harassment allegations from seven female wrestlers.
"We will participate in the Asian Games only when all these issues are resolved. You can't understand what we're going through mentally each day," Malikkh expressed, as reported by ANI. The Asian Games are scheduled to commence on September 23 in Hangzhou, China.
The wrestlers recently decided to temporarily suspend their protest against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh until June 15. This development occurred after Union Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Anurag Thakur assured the protesters that a chargesheet would be filed against Singh by June 15, and WFI elections would take place by June 30.
In a notable event on Saturday, Sakshee Malikkh and Bajrang Punia, alongside other wrestlers, attended a "Mahapanchayat" (large community gathering) with Khap leaders in Sonipat, Haryana. Punia mentioned that they would relay the details of their meeting with Minister Thakur to the khap leaders, who have been supportive of the wrestlers' protest.
Addressing concerns about alleged disunity among the wrestlers, Malikkh affirmed, "I, Punia, and Vinesh Phogat are one and will remain one."
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