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On Thursday (December 21), Sakshi Malik announced her decision to quit wrestling. This came when, after months of discussion and postponed dates, the Wrestling Federation of India elections finally took place, and Sanjay Singh, a close aide of Brij Bhushan Singh, was chosen the president of the association.
In light of this, Malik, an Olympic bronze medalist and a Commonwealth Games gold medalist, announced her retirement. Malik, alongside wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, has been involved in protests against former president Brij Bhushan Singh alleging sexual harassment, and were adamant that his aide not be put into a position of power.
In a press conference, Malik stated that the election of Sanjay Singh would translate to the continued exploitation of women in wrestling. She emphasized that the future generation of athletes would once again have to take up this fight, and thanked those who have stood by her, including Phogat and Punia, even at personal cost, over the last one year.
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Reacting to the heartbreaking news on X (formerly Twitter) a user put it succinctly, writing:
“A champion quits, a nation grieves”
Another fan echoed a similar sentiment, writing:
“This is so sad, what a horrible day for Indian sports.”
Here are some other fans who took to X to express their heartbreak over Sakshi Malik’s announcement:
Sakshi Malik's stellar career
Sakshi Malik first piqued the interest of wrestling enthusiasts when she won bronze at the 2010 World Junior Championships. She was later catapulted into nation-wide fame when she clinched a silver medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in the 58kg category.
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Sakshi was one of only two Indians to finish on the podium, the other being badminton player PV Sindhu. A couple of years later, Malik claimed a bronze at the 2018 Commonwealth Games Games, before finally bagging a gold in 2022.
Over the years, the wrestler has also won four medals at the Asian Championships - a bronze in 2015, 2018, and 2019, and a silver in 2017.
