India’s top wrestler, Sakshi Malik, has quit the sport in protest over her federation’s new president.
Sanjay Singh was elected the chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Thursday after a landslide victory.
Mr Singh is reportedly a close aide of WFI’s former chief, Brij Bhushan Singh, who has been accused of sexually harassing female wrestlers. Mr Singh denies the allegations.
Wrestlers had held massive protests against his alleged misconduct.
In January, wrestlers paused protests as Brij Bhushan Singh lost administrative powers, pending a government investigation. In April, they resumed protests because the government didn’t reveal the panel’s findings on Mr Singh, who is also a six-term MP from Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.
The agitation had made headlines globally, especially after the police detained the wrestlers when they tried to march to India’s new parliament building.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had condemned the way the wrestlers were treated and called for an impartial inquiry into their complaints.
In June, the police charged Mr Singh with stalking, harassment and intimidation as well as making “sexually coloured remarks” but he was granted bail by a court.
The wrestlers had also asked India’s sports minister to prevent people associated with Mr Singh from participating in WFI’s presidential election, which was delayed for several months.
After the results were announced on Thursday, Ms Malik, who won the 58kg freestyle bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics, expressed her frustration in a press conference.
“We slept for 40 days on the road.. if Brij Bhushan Singh’s business partner and close aide is elected as the president of WFI, I quit wrestling,” she told the media, breaking down in tears.
She also said that the wrestlers had demanded that a woman be made president as that would prevent female wrestlers from being harassed.
“But there was no participation of women [in the elections],” she said. “Not a single woman was given a position.”
Wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who also participated in the protests, condemned the election results and said that the “future of wrestling is dark”.
“To whom shall we convey our grief… we are still fighting while training,” she added.
Sanjay Singh has not commented on Ms Malik’s decision.
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