'Will participate in Asian Games only when...,' wrestlers threaten

'You can't understand what we're going through mentally each day,' Sakshi Malik said

Amid the ongoing talks to meet the demands raised by protesting wrestlers, Sakshi Malik on Saturday said the wrestlers will not participate in the Asian Games unless the matter is completely resolved.

Talking to reporters in Sonipat, Malik said that no one understands what the wrestlers are going through mentally each passing day.

The 30-year-old reached Sonipat to attend the Mahapanchayat to decide on the future course of action for the wrestlers, who have been demanding the resignation of outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment.

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"We will participate in Asian Games only when all these issues will be resolved. You can't understand how mentally exhausting this is and what we are going through everyday, " Sakshi said.

Sakshi's comments have come at a time when trials for the Asiad are scheduled to take place this month. All the wrestlers, including those involved in the protest, need to compete at the trials to earn their place in the India team for the Asian Games, which will be held in Hangzhou, China from September 23 to October 8, 2023.

On Wednesday, Malik along with Bajrang Punia and others met Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur at his home and said that the government had asked for time till June 15 for the police investigation to be completed.

"The government has asked for time till June 15 for the police investigation to complete. It has agreed on most of our proposals related to wrestling. We will keep these proposals in front of the farmers' unions, women's unions, our seniors and khap panchayats. So, we won't protest till June 15 but our movement against the WFI chief will continue," Sakshi had told IANS.

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