Rahul Gandhi will take on Bajrang Punia and other wrestlers as a number of awards are returned.
2 min readIn Haryana, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi held a meeting with renowned wrestlers Banjrang Punia, Deepak Punia, and others, coinciding with a wave of protests among wrestlers returning trophies to the newly elected Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) board. The protests were in response to dissatisfaction with the new WFI chairman, leading to the Sports Ministry’s suspension of the recently elected board.
During his visit to Chhara village, Rahul Gandhi interacted with wrestlers, including gold medalist Deepak Punia from the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The meeting took place at the revered Wa Virandra Akhara, where both Deepak and Bajrang initiated their wrestling careers.
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Bajrang Punia mentioned that Rahul Gandhi observed the wrestlers’ daily workout routines and even engaged in a wrestling match with him. The Congress MP demonstrated an interest in understanding wrestling skills, etiquettes, and the intricacies of scoring points. Additionally, he partook in the wrestlers’ dietary choices, consuming green curries and millet toast.
The coach at Virendra Akhara highlighted that the wrestlers informed Rahul Gandhi about the prevalent mental health challenges faced by today’s youth. Despite the issues, the coach expressed confidence that everything is within the administration’s control. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is set to establish an ad hoc committee to oversee the day-to-day operations and management of the WFI.
The Sports Ministry’s suspension of the WFI came just three days after the election of office bearers, citing concerns about the influence of previous leaders, particularly Brij Bhushan, who faced suspension over charges of sexual harassment. Union Minister of Sports Anurag Thakur has written to the IOA, seeking control of the WFI.
Wrestlers like Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, protesting against Bhushan’s removal, supported the WFI suspension. In an earlier interview, both wrestlers emphasized their call for a female president. Sanjay Singh emerged victorious in the presidential election on December 21, defeating Commonwealth Games gold winner Anita Sheron.
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Wrestlers who supported Anita contested Singh’s election, citing his close association with Bhushan. The athletes, including a two-time World Championship medalist, expressed disillusionment, realizing that such recognition holds little value in the face of the extreme struggles and pursuit of justice by wrestlers.