Calls on Sports Ministry to Prioritize Paris Olympics Preparation with Just Seven Months Left :
In a recent plea, Olympic bronze medalist Bajrang Punia has raised concerns over the standstill in wrestling activities for the past several months, emphasizing the urgent need for action with only seven months remaining until the Paris Games. The wrestling fraternity has been engulfed in turmoil, marked by protests against former president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, leading to disruptions in training and competitions.
The turmoil persisted even after the election of a new Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) committee, as the Sports Ministry suspended the Sanjay Singh-led panel, citing constitutional violations related to the announcement of the national U-15 and U-20 Championships.
Punia, who previously made headlines by returning his Padma Shri in protest against the election of Sanjay Singh, a Brij Bhushan loyalist, expressed deep concern about the lack of preparation for the upcoming Olympics.
“Wrestling activities have come to a standstill for the last several months. Neither has any nationals been held nor have any camps been organized to prepare the players (for Paris Olympics),” Punia highlighted on his social media account.
The 65kg freestyle bronze winner in the Tokyo Olympics stressed the importance of taking the Olympics seriously, considering wrestling’s impressive track record with four consecutive medals in the last four Games. Punia urged the officials to prioritize the players’ future.
“There is an Olympic Games after seven months, but no one seems serious about it. Wrestling has given four consecutive medals in the last four Olympics,” he said.
With a series of protest measures taking center stage in recent days, including Sakshi Malik’s decision to retire from wrestling and Vinesh Phogat’s return of her Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award, Punia’s call for the swift resumption of wrestling activities aims to draw attention to the urgency of addressing the challenges within the wrestling fraternity.
In conclusion, Punia requested the Sports Ministry to take immediate action and restart all wrestling activities to salvage the future of the players and ensure optimal preparation for the Paris Olympics.
