It was just days before the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics when Sakshi Malik addressed a media briefing on July 23, 2024. Assured yet tired, ready to wrestle with the patriarchal authorities shrouding women’s sports in India, she sat for the briefing to unveil a report titled ‘“We Were Only Demanding Justice”: Sexual Abuse in the Indian Wrestling Federation’. The report, supported by The Sport & Rights Alliance, is about the shocking trend of harassment and abuse committed by the ex-president of the Wrestling Federation of India, Brij Bhushan Singh, a former Member of Parliament with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Assured yet tired, ready to wrestle with the patriarchal authorities shrouding women’s sports in India, she sat for the briefing to unveil a report titled ‘“We Were Only Demanding Justice”: Sexual Abuse in the Indian Wrestling Federation’.
Some of the athletes whose testimonies were in the report featured two-time Olympian and Paris 2024 contender Vinesh Phogat, as well as Sakshi Malik, who has now emerged as a prominent voice in this fight against abuse in sports. During the conference, Malik declared an election challenge against the WFI leadership on the grounds of the urgent need to have women in the governance of sports. ‘I have the knowledge, so why can’t I be a leader?’ she asked. It is a question that goes deep within the bounds of her experiences and the everyday struggles of female athletes in India.
The first and foremost win in Malik’s wrestling career was the bronze medal she won at the 2016 Rio Olympics but her last was in 2022, she stressed. The reason her prolific wrestling career was cut short, was due to multiple issues within the WFI regarding accountability and a general lack of support for female athletes.
The reason her prolific wrestling career was cut short, was due to multiple issues within the WFI regarding accountability and a general lack of support for female athletes.
Reflecting on the current state of the federation, Malik stated, ‘Women’s involvement in the federation is zero. We get more medals, but nothing for our safety. There is a lack of women in leadership, so there is no resolution.’ She underlined how much women achieve, but are not represented at the leadership level to raise their concerns and ensure their safety.
Time for massive changes in leadership and representation
There is hence a tension-filled backdrop to Malik’s statements. When allegations of sexual abuse were made against Brij Bhushan Singh, Malik, and other wrestlers led protests demanding accountability. Their efforts came to naught with Singh’s known close aide Sanjay Singh being elected as the new president of WFI, which saw Malik declaring her retirement as a mark of protest.
‘If a person like Brij Bhushan, his business partner, and a close aide, is elected as the president of WFI, I quit wrestling,’ she had then declared on July 20, 2023, placing her wrestling shoes on the table as a symbol of her dissent.
At this recent press conference, Malik expressed her frustration with the system, and the atmosphere was charged with emotion. ‘During the hearings, it was not intimidating, but I didn’t feel too safe either. There was no result, actually, other than Brij Bhushan staying unaffected. The reason is that he has lots of political power and was the ruling party’s MP,’ she exhaustedly recollected. It summarises so much of the pervasive fear and uncertainty that many athletes feel in their quest for justice in a system that is far too often political rather than concerned with accountability.
The impact of Malik’s retirement on women’s sports
Malik’s retirement is not just a personal loss; it has larger connotations for women in sports. She called for retirement following a year of protest, even sleeping on roads for 40 days to demand justice. ‘After winning a Commonwealth medal in 2022, I protested. I didn’t want to quit, but after sleeping on the road for 40 days and seeing nothing happen, I decided to quit. An Olympic medalist leaving the federation over sexual harassment is unacceptable. I can’t make a comeback; I just want to be a role model and set a precedent. Don’t delay your complaints, even when it’s tough,’ she urged.
Despite all this, Malik remains committed to the issues of athlete rights and a safer environment for future generations of wrestlers. With her experience as a successful athlete and her contribution towards giving back to the sport, she can be an ideal candidate to hold a leadership position within WFI. ‘Even in the akhaadas (wrestling academies), I talk to the younger wrestlers so that future Olympic champions have a strong voice. My career has been affected, so I have no fear. I want to be a leader. I have trained, wrestled, and sacrificed enough,’ she asserted.
In these times when the Indian wrestling community is getting to grips with the aftermath of the allegations and pressing reform, Sakshi Malik serves as the beacon of hope and a call to action. Her story is a testament to the strength and will of women athletes who are not ready to be silenced and fight for themselves and their fellow women. In this light, she has helped to put a spotlight on these critical issues and added weight to the voices of athletes like Malik who call for change.
With the eyes of the world turned to the Paris 2024 Olympics, the impetus toward greater representation and accountability in sports governance could not be more compelling. Malik’s story is not just about wrestling; it’s about breaking barriers en route to becoming a pioneer for future generations of women leaders within the sport.
