After Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, Wrestler Virender Singh announced his retirement from wrestling. Virender Singh has taken this decision as a way of supporting wrestlers including Sakshi Malik who are making sexual allegations against Brij Bhushan Charan Singh. He also said that he will return his Padma Shri award.
Wrestler Sakshi Malik recently announced her retirement from wrestling to protest the selection of Sanjay Singh, a close aide of the organization’s ex-president and sex-accused Brij Bhushan Charan Singh, as the new President of the Wrestling Federation of India. Continual wrestler Bajrang Punia announced his retirement from wrestling and left the award at the doorstep of the Prime Minister’s residence last night, saying he would hand over his Padma Shri award to Prime Minister Modi. Following these two, Virender Singh has also announced that he will not be involved in wrestling.
In 2021, Virender Singh Yadav, also known as Goonga Pehalwan, was bestowed with the esteemed Padma Shri Award
“I will also return the Padma Shri for my sister and the daughter of the country, Honorable Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Sir. I am proud of your daughter and my sister SakshiMalik,” wrote Virender Singh on X.
“But… why…? But I would also request the top players of the country to also give their decision…@sachin_rt @Neeraj_chopra1,” he said in his post.
What is the background?
Indian wrestlers Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat protested against Brij Bhushan Charan Singh for sexual allegations a few months ago. Leading player Bajrang Punia also participated in the protest in support of them. The court heard the case and ordered to register a case against Brij Bhushan Charan Singh. Following this, he lost his post. During this protest, players including Sakshiu Malik demanded that the supporters of Brij Bhushan Charan Singh should not contest the elections. Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur had accepted this request.
However, in the travesty of the situation Sanjay Singh, a supporter of Brij Bhushan Charan Singh, was elected as the new President on 21 Dec, which shocked the wrestlers who have been staging protests against him. Brij Bhushan Charan Singh’s supporter, Sanjay Singh have won 13 of the elections to elect 15 administrators.
“Retiring from wrestling”
When Sanjay Singh was elected President of the Wrestling Association of India on 21 Dec, Sakshi Malik announced her retirement from wrestling. In this regard, she said in tears, “We fought from our hearts, but Brij Bhushan’s business partner and close aide Sanjay Singh has been chosen as the leader. With this, I am retiring from wrestling. We wanted a woman to be the leader. But that didn’t happen.”
However, on Sunday, Union Sports Ministry has suspended the WFI.
