Wrestlers Vs Brij Bhushan: Now, video of Sakshi Malik praising ex-WFI chief emerges on social media (WATCH)

By Team Asianet Newsable | First Published Dec 23, 2023, 11:23 AM IST

A video from August 2022 has surfaced on social media, showing Sakshi praising Brij Bhushan for his contributions to the sport. The video has sparked controversy, with some questioning the credibility of Sakshi's harassment claims

Days after a teary-eyed wrestler Sakshi Malik announced her retirement from the sport after Sanjay Singh, a loyalist of BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, was elected as the president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Thursday, a video is doing the rounds on social media where she is seen praising the former WFI president for "encouraging" the sport in the country.

This video is from 6 August 2022.

She was praising Brajbhushan Singh for his nature & efforts... And now she's saying that she was harassed by him in 2015-16... pic.twitter.com/4odDrAGNsk

— Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_)

Malik and other wrestlers had accused former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexually harassing female grapplers. Malik, who spearheaded the protests against former chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), stepped down from professional wrestling, hours after Brij Bhushan Singh's close aide Sanjay Singh emerged as the new one on December 21st. Sanjay Singh won 40 out of 47 votes to beat former Commonwealth Gold Medalist Anita Sheoran in the election held on December 21st.

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But now, a video reportedly from 6 August 2022, is going viral on social media. In the video, Sakshi -- after winning gold in the women's freestyle wrestling at Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham -- told news channel NDTV how the credit for her performance should be given to the then WFI president (Brij Bhushan). She is also heard saying that Brij Bhushan had done a lot for the development of the sport in the country and making domestic competitions so tough that international competitions seemed easier to approach.

The video has created a storm on social media with users doubting whether there was really any substance in Sakshi's claims considering how she was heard praising Brij Bhushan to the reporter who had not even asked about him in the first place.

At the same time, there were those who said that she would have spoken ill of the WFI chief on a global stage when she had just won a Gold medal for the country. They further said that the government did not listen to her when she came out in the open with the allegations against Brij Bhushan.

Meanwhile, the 27-year-old is adamant about not returning to wrestling. While she stated that wrestling had given her a lot, Sakshi said that it was the administration that made her quit the sport.

Sakshi stated her refusal to be associated with the federation if individuals like Brij Bhushan Singh remain a part of it. Malik acknowledged the difficulty of the decision, emphasizing that she felt compelled to make this choice due to the circumstances.

Also read: Sakshi Malik, the wrestler who fought battles on and off the mat

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