Days after Sakshi Malik announced her retirement from wrestling, Vinesh Phogat announced through a letter which she posted on her X (formerly Twitter) account that she is returning her Major Dhyanchand Khel Ratna and Arjuna award as a mark of protest against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh loyalist Sanjay Singh winning the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) election for the president post. Olympic medalists Bajrang Punia and Virender Singh Yadav, a Deaflympics champion also returned their Padma Shri awards- county’s fourth highest civilian honour. Sanjay Singh’s panel won 13 out of the 15 posts in the election in New Delhi
The highest sports honor of the country, Dhyanchand Khel Ratna, was conferred to Vinesh Phogat on 2020 and Arjuna Award in 2016
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Vinesh Phogat’s letter to PM
In a letter to PM Narendra Modi, Vinesh Phogat wrote that she will be returning her Arjuna award and Khel Ratna awards to protest against the election of Brij Bhushan Sharan loyalist Sanjay Singh. She further added that these awards don’t have any meaning in her life. She wants to get rid of her image receiving the awards as that was the dream and how the woman wrestlers are being treated is her reality. She expressed that she doesn’t know in what condition Bajrang Punia decided to return his Padma Shri but when she saw his pictures in the media, she was suffering from inside and have started to hate her awards.
She emphasized that every woman in India wants to lead a dignified life and she wants to return the awards so they don’t become a burden on her in her quest to lead a dignified life. She even questioned the government if the woman wrestlers were only to grace their advertisements. She even posed a question to the PM if she was a traitor now that she was asking for justice and spoke out against their leader. She mentioned that the wrestlers are considered the country’s pride only when they win a medal and get the title of traitor if they demand justice.
In her emotional letter, she also recalled the time Sakshee Malik won the medal in the Olympics and the government made her the brand ambassador of the campaign “Beti Bacho Beti Padhao”. All female wrestlers were happy after the announcement, but ever since Sakshee announced her retirement from the sport as a mark of protest, Phogat mentioned she is remembering 2016’s announcement again and again. She wrote that getting a medal in the Olympics is her dream, which is now fading
She exhorted Modi to spare just five minutes to hear the former wrestling federation of India’s chief comments post the wrestling body elections, where he mentioned that his dominance would continue.
On the allegations of not following the provisions of its constitution while taking decisions, the sports ministry suspended the newly elected panel and asked the Indian Olympic Association ( IOC) to form an ad hoc panel to manage the sport’s body affairs. The ministry also stated that the newly elected body seems to be under the complete control of the former office-bearers and have completely disregarded the sports code
Allegation on Brij Bhushan
The former president of the wrestling federation of India, Brij Bhushan Sharan, was accused of harassment by several female wrestlers, including minors. Earlier this year, many wrestlers protested at Jantar Mantar, demanding his suspension from the post. Sashi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia were at the forefront of the protest.
He had reportedly denied all the allegations and has distanced himself from the ongoing developments at the WFI. He asserted that he has retired from the wrestling administration.
Also read: Sakshee Malikkh Quits as Brij Bhushan’s Aide becomes New Wrestling Federation Chief
