On Wednesday, January 3, 2024, hundreds of junior wrestlers gathered at Jantar Mantar to express their discontent over losing a crucial year of their careers. The protest was targeted at veteran Indian wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, and Bajrang Punia, who have been protesting against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for an year.
The junior wrestlers protesting at Jantar Mantar arrived in several buses from Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, and blamed the 3 veteran wrestlers for ruining an year of their lives. The young wrestlers chanted slogans against Malik, Phogat, and Punia during their protest.
The protesters were even carrying banners urging UWW (United World Wrestling), the body that governs world wrestling, to save Indian wrestling from Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, and Bajrang Punia.
STORY | Fresh protest erupts in Indian wrestling; this time against Bajrang, Sakshi and Vinesh
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 3, 2024
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Approximately 300 of the protesters travelled from Arya Samaj Akhara in Chhaprauli, Baghpat, as per reports, while additional participants came from the Virender Wrestling Academy in Narela. A large number of the wrestlers continue to remain on buses, intending to disembark and join the protest.
The 3 veteran wrestlers, Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, and Bajrang Punia, have been protesting against WFI and its former chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Sharma for an year now, and even after he ceased to be the WFI president, the protests have not stopped from the trio. In between, Wrestling Federation of India has been suspended by the world wrestling body.
After removal of Brij Bhushan Sharma and the previous WFI officials, fresh elections were called for, but even the newly elected body was suspended from performing any action by the sports ministry amidst the protests by the three wrestlers.
Even though Brij Bhushan was removed from WFI, Sakshi Malik announced her retirement from wrestling, and Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat returned their awards conferred upon them by government of India in order to get their way in the selection of the WFI president.
Since their protests began in January 2023, wrestling in India has seen suspension of several camps and junior competitions, costing an year of several young wrestlers.
