WFI row: Wrestler Vinesh Phogat leaves Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award at Kartavya Path

Tribune News Service

Vinayak Padmadeo

New Delhi, December 30

After Bajrang Punia, wrestler Vinesh Phogat has followed up on her announcement and returned her Arjuna Award and Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna medallion.

WFI poll fallout

• Dec 21: Brij Bhushan-backed Sanjay Singh elected WFI chief; wrestler Sakshi Malik quits
• Dec 22: Bajrang Punia leaves Padma Shri with letter to PM at Kartavya Path in protest
• Dec 26: Vinesh Phogat says will follow suit; leaves medals at Kartavya Path today

Like Bajrang, Vinesh, the two-time World Championships medallist, was stopped by the Delhi Police at Kartavya Path on Saturday, while going towards the Prime Minister’s Office. After a brief interaction with police officials, the 29-year-old wrestler left her Arjuna Award Trophy, her Khel Ratna medallion and a letter addressed to PM Narendra Modi on the pavement. Vinesh, who is currently undergoing rehabilitation at Bengaluru’s Lakshyan Academy of Sports after her knee surgery, flew in and drove straight to Kartavya Path with her awards, which her husband Somvir Rathee had brought. She later flew back to Bengaluru.

In a letter to PM Modi on Thursday, Vinesh had said she would return her awards as she was hurt at the way Olympic medallists Punia and Sakshi Malik had been forced to take extreme measures. Sakshi had earlier announced her retirement after Brij Bhushan-backed candidate Sanjay Singh won the post of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president.

“…no mother in India would have the same fate as her daughter. Now I want to get rid of that image of receiving the award because that was a dream and what is happening with us right now is a reality. I was awarded the Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award but now they don’t seem important to me. Every woman wants to live her life with respect so that’s why PM sir, I want to return my Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award to you so that these do not become a roadblock in my life,” Vinesh said on the micro-blogging site X.

Meanwhile, Bajrang in a separate social media post on Thursday requested restart of competitions, saying there was very little time left to prepare for the 2024 Paris Olympics. “Wrestling activities have come to a halt for months. Neither nationals nor any preparatory camps were held. We have Olympic Games after seven months but it seems no one is serious about wrestling that has given us four medals in the past four Olympics,” he said on X.

“I request the Sports Ministry to get all activities restarted as soon as possible so that we can save careers of our athletes,” he added.

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