Sports
Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia decides to return Padma Shri in protest over Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh loyalist's election as WFI president.
Updated : Dec 22, 2023, 06:08 PM IST
In a surprising turn of events, Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia has decided to return the prestigious Padma Shri award to the Prime Minister after Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh loyalist was elected as the president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
On Thursday, Indian wrestler Sakshi Malik also announced her shocking retirement as a mark of protest against the election result.
Earlier this year, wrestlers like Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Vinesh Phogat staged a protest against Brij Bhushan accusing him of sexual exploitation, and demanded his resignation from the WFI chief post.
Sanjay Singh, a close associate of Brij Bhushan secured 40 votes as against seven that his rival Anita Sheoran got.