As a result of the loss of a pivotal year in their careers, which they attributed to top grapplers Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat, hundreds of junior wrestlers gathered at Jantar Mantar here on Wednesday, adding a new twist to the ongoing crisis in Indian wrestling. The junior wrestlers surprised the police when they arrived, loaded into buses, from various parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Delhi. Arya Samaj Akhara in Chhaprauli, Baghpat was the source of nearly 300 of them, while the Virender Wrestling Academy in Narela was the source of many more. When more wrestlers show up at the historic protest site, many of the ones who are currently crammed into buses intend to get off and join their comrades.
Slogans disparaging Punia, Malik, and Phogat were yelled as the security guards tried to subdue them. “UWW save our wrestling from these 3 wrestlers” was written on the banners carried by the protesters. When the top three wrestlers demanded the arrest of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh after accusing him of sexually harassing female wrestlers, they ironically managed to garner a great deal of support for their cause at the same protest site almost a year ago.
Thousands of supporters of Malik, Phogat, and Punia turned out from a variety of social groups, including farmers’ organizations, social workers, politicians, women’s organizations, and wrestling fraternity members. The three are currently the target of demonstrations from members of their community who have gathered at Jantar Mantar, claiming that they have ruined their careers. National teams and tournaments have not taken place since January 2023 because the WFI has been suspended twice and the sport is now governed by an ad hoc panel.
