'UWW save our wrestling from these 3 wrestlers': Wrestlers protest year-long career setback, blame Malik, Punia and Phogat

The ongoing turmoil within the Indian wrestling community deepened on Wednesday as hundreds of junior wrestlers gathered at Jantar Mantar in Delhi to express their dissatisfaction over the loss of an entire year of their career, owing to the protests against former WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The protesting junior wrestler have blamed top wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat for this setback. The protestors arrived from various regions of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Delhi, donning placards and banners that read 'UWW save our wrestling from these 3 wrestlers'.

Over 300 protesters arrived from Arya Samaj Akhara in Chhaprauli, Baghpat, and the Virender Wrestling Academy in Narela. The protesters shouted slogans against Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat, who have been spearheading a movement against Brij Bhushan Singh over alleged charges of sexual harassment.

Following the recent WFI elections, the top wrestlers resorted to returning their awards and accolades as a mark of protest over Sanjay Singh, a close aide of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh assuming the President’s role of the wrestling body. Sakshi Malik had announced her retirement from wrestling, she was followed by Bajrang Punia on close heels who return his Padma Shri award to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Vinesh Phogat followed suit and left her Khel Ratna and Arjuna award on the Kartavya Path after being stopped by the police from reaching the Prime Minister’s office.

Interestingly, nearly a year ago, at Jantar Mantar, the three wrestlers garnered support from their fraternity and the country at large as they rallied for the arrest of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, alleging him of sexually harassing women wrestlers. However, the same trio is now facing extensive protests from their own community, as the junior wrestlers gathered at Jantar Mantar blame them for jeopardizing their careers.

Since January 2023, national training camps and competitions have been in hiatus owing to suspensions of the WFI body. In the absence of the WFI, an ad-hoc panel has taken charge of governing the sport. The protesters on Wednesday called for the reinstatement of the suspended WFI and the dissolution of the ad-hoc panel appointed by the sports ministry to manage the sport.