NEW DELHI, Jan 3 : A new chapter unfolded in the ongoing crisis within Indian wrestling as hundreds of junior wrestlers gathered at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to protest the loss of a crucial year in their careers. They squarely blamed top wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat for their predicament.
Arriving in buses from various regions in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Delhi, the junior wrestlers caught the police off guard, with around 300 of them arriving from Arya Samaj Akhara in Chhaprauli, Baghpat, and others from the Virender Wrestling Academy in Narela. Additional wrestlers are expected to join the protest, as many remain on the buses.
Security personnel struggled to manage the situation as the protesters voiced their grievances against Punia, Malik, and Phogat, chanting slogans and carrying banners that read: “UWW save our wrestling from these 3 wrestlers.”
Ironically, nearly a year ago at the same protest site, the top three wrestlers had garnered significant support when they called for the arrest of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accusing him of sexual harassment of women wrestlers.
However, the tables have turned, and the three elite wrestlers now face opposition within their community. The protesters at Jantar Mantar accuse them of hindering the careers of junior wrestlers.
Since January 2023, national camps and competitions have been on hold due to the WFI being suspended twice, with an ad-hoc panel currently managing the sport. The protesters demand the restoration of the suspended WFI, calling for the disbandment of the ad-hoc panel appointed by the sports ministry to run the sport.
