After ace wrestler Bajrang Punia returned his Padma Shri, Vinesh Phogat on Tuesday announced that she will also return her Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award and Arjuna Award.
India’s wrestling has seen a major shift since the conclusion of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections last week.
Former WFI Chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s aide Sanjay Singh was elected as the new president on Thursday, which caused a major disappointment among the wrestlers who were protesting against former WFI head, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
After Singh’s victory in the WFI elections, emotional Sakshi broke down as she left the venue announcing her retirement from wrestling while addressing a press conference in the national capital.
However, the WFI body witnessed a major twist after the Union Sports Ministry suspended the newly elected body. The decision came close on the heels of the newly elected WFI chief Sanjay Singh announcing the hosting of the U-15 and U-20 nationals at Nandini Nagar in the Gond district of Uttar Pradesh by the end of the year.
In light of the recent developments, Vinesh took to X, to announce that she will be returning her Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award and Arjuna Award.
She addressed a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and talked about the struggles that she has faced and wrote, “Respected Prime Minister, Sakshi Malik has quit wrestling and Bajrang Punia has returned his Padma Shri. The whole country knows why the players who won Olympic medals for the country were forced to do all this, and you are the head of the country, so this matter must have reached you too.”
“Prime Minister, I am Vinesh Phogat, the daughter of your house and I am writing this letter to you to tell you about the condition I am in for the last one year. I remember the year 2016, when Sakshi Malik won a medal in the Olympics, your government made her the brand ambassador of “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao”. When this was announced, all the women players of the country were happy and were sending congratulatory messages to each other. Today, ever since Sakshi had to leave wrestling, I am remembering that year 2016 again and again. Are we female players made only to appear on government advertisements? We have no objection to those advertisements being published.