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Vinesh Phogat on Sakshi Malik's 'greed' charge: ‘If speaking for sisters…’
Vinesh Phogat responded to Sakshi Malik's criticism of their decision to skip Asian Games trials. Bajrang Punia downplayed any rift in their friendship.
Congress MLA Vinesh Phogat has responded to Olympic bronze medalist Sakshi Malik's allegation of weakening the wrestlers' protest against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
In her book "Witness," Malik alleged that Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia's decision to accept exemptions from the Asian Games trials damaged the credibility of their movement. She claimed that “people close to” them filled their minds with “greed,” making the protest appear “selfish.”
In response, Vinesh said on Tuesday, “Greed for what? You should ask her (Sakshi Malik). If speaking for the sisters is greed, I have this greed and this is good. If this is the greed - to bring an Olympic medal by representing the country, it's a good greed.”
Bajrang downplays any rift
Bajrang Punia dismissed any rift between him and Sakshi Malik, saying her opinions are her own. He expressed confidence in their friendship, saying, “It’s her personal view. She was our friend, and she will continue to be so. I can’t comment on what she has said.”
The three wrestlers have accused Brij Bhushan, the former head of the Wrestling Federation of India, of sexual harassment, with the case currently ongoing in a Delhi court.
After the Wrestling Federation was suspended, an ad-hoc committee allowed Bajrang and Vinesh to skip the trials for the 2023 Asian Games. However, Malik opted not to seek an exemption.
Eventually, Sakshi Malik did not compete while Vinesh suffered an injury before the Games and Bajrang failed to win a medal in Hangzhou.
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Nothing good came of Bajrang and Vinesh's decision: Sakshi Malik
Malik argued that accepting the exemption harmed the protest's image, leading supporters to question their motivations.
"Nothing good came of Bajrang and Vinesh's decision to take the exemption...their decision badly hurt the image of our protest. It put us in a situation where many supporters started to think that we were actually in the protest for selfish reasons," the 32-year-old said.
