Bajrang Punia urges Sports Ministry to resume wrestling activity

NEW DELHI — Olympic medalist Bajrang Punia contends the need for the Sports Ministry to resume the wrestling activities in the country with seven months remaining for the upcoming Paris Olympics.

Punia expressed concern over the ongoing hiatus between the Wrestling Federation of India and the Ministry of Sports after former WFI President Brij Bhushan Singh’s aide Sanjay Singh President winning panel got suspended by the ministry.

“Wrestling work has come to a standstill for the last several months. Neither has any national been held nor have any camps been organized to prepare the players. There are Olympic Games after 7 months but no one seems serious about the Olympics whereas wrestling has given four consecutive medals in the last four Olympics,” wrote Bajrang Punia on X, previously Twitter.

Punia, who had decided to return his Padma Shri in protest over the election of Sanjay Singh, a Brij Bhushan loyalist, further said the preparation for the Olympics needed urgent attention.

Punia, a 65 kg freestyle Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist winner emphasized the need for ministry to look for the future of players.

“Sports Ministry is requested to start all wrestling activities as soon as possible so that the future of the players can be saved,” he added.

The newly-appointed ad-hoc committee for the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Friday moved the WFI office out of the residence of former President and BJP Member of Parliament (MP), Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Also read: India looks at surpassing best-ever Tokyo tally of 7 medals in Paris 2024