Wrestler Vinesh Phogat to return her Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award amid WFI election row

Vinesh Phogat, World Championship medallist, has announced to return her Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award to the government protesting against the election of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh-loyalist Sanjay Singh as the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president. Vinesh's decision comes days after Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia and Deafylmpics champion Virender Singh Yadav returned their Padma Shri awards.

"I am returning my Major Dhyanchand Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award," Vinesh announced in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his X (formerly Twitter) account. On Thursday, Sanjay Singh was elected as the president of the WFI after the panel led by the close aide of Brij Bhushan won 13 of the 15 posts. The wrestlers had demanded that no close associate of Brij Bhushan should enter the WFI administration. Following the election, Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik announced that she would quit the sport.

मैं अपना मेजर ध्यानचंद खेल रत्न और अर्जुन अवार्ड वापस कर रही हूँ।

इस हालत में पहुँचाने के लिए ताकतवर का बहुत बहुत धन्यवाद pic.twitter.com/KlhJzDPu9D

— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) December 26, 2023

However, the Sports Ministry had later suspended the newly-elected panel for not following the provisions of its own constitution while taking decisions and also asked the IOA to constitute an ad-hoc panel to manage the affairs of the sports body. In suspending the fresh panel, the government cited its "hasty announcement" of organising the U-15 and U-20 nationals "without following due procedure and not giving sufficient notice to wrestlers" for preparations.

(With inputs from PTI)