India’s star wrestler Bajrang Punia has returned his Padma Shri award, the fourth highest civilian honour in the country, in protest of the controversial election of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Chief.
Punia, who won the bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, placed the award outside the residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, along with a letter expressing his dissatisfaction with the WFI.
Punia accused the WFI of being “corrupt” and “biased” and alleged that the election of its Chief, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, was “rigged” and “undemocratic”.
Singh, who is also a Member of Parliament from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was re-elected as the WFI Chief for a third term on December 18, 2023, without any opposition.
Punia claimed that Singh had violated the National Sports Code, which limits the tenure of office-bearers of sports federations to two terms of four years each.
Punia also alleged that Singh had failed to address the grievances of the wrestlers and had ignored their demands for better facilities, coaching, and exposure.
Punia said that he was returning the Padma Shri, which he received in 2019, as a mark of protest and to draw the attention of the Prime Minister and the Sports Ministry to the “sorry state” of wrestling in India.
“I have no personal grudge against anyone, but I cannot tolerate the injustice and corruption that is happening in the WFI. I have given my blood and sweat for this sport, and I want it to grow and flourish in India. But the current WFI Chief is ruining the future of wrestling and the wrestlers,” Punia said in his letter.
Punia also appealed to other wrestlers to join him in his protest and demand a fair and transparent election of the WFI Chief.
“I urge all my fellow wrestlers to stand up for their rights and raise their voice against the WFI. We need a leader who can work for the welfare of the sport and the athletes, not for his own personal gains. We need a change in the WFI, and we need it now,” Punia said.
