Ace wrestler Vinesh Phogat leaves her Arjuna and Khel Ratna Awards on Kartavya Path
New Delhi: Asian Games and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Vinesh Phogat left her Arjuna and Khel Ratna Awards on the pavement of Kartavya Path in New Delhi in protest against the alleged mistreatment of female wrestlers in India amid the controversy in the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
Vinesh had previously voiced her concerns in an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing disappointment over recent events and the election of Sanjay Singh as the new WFI president.
Singh is known to be a close aide of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who faced accusations of sexual harassment from female wrestlers.
यह दिन किसी खिलाड़ी के जीवन में न आए। देश की महिला पहलवान सबसे बुरे दौर से गुज़र रही हैं। #vineshphogat pic.twitter.com/bT3pQngUuI
— Bajrang Punia 🇮🇳 (@BajrangPunia) December 30, 2023
Vinesh Phogat tried to leave her awards outside the Prime Minister's Office in New Delhi, but she was stopped by the police at Kartavya Path.
Undeterred, she decided to leave her Arjuna and Khel Ratna Awards on the pavement of Kartavya Path.
In her letter, Vinesh Phogat had conveyed her intention to return the awards, expressing deep disappointment over the lack of justice for female wrestlers.
Together with other prominent wrestlers such as Sakshee Malikkh and Bajrang Punia, Vinesh had been at the forefront of prolonged protests against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the former WFI chief, following accusations of sexual harassment by several female wrestlers.
"I was awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award, but they hold no meaning in my life anymore. Every woman wants to live life with respect. Therefore, Prime Minister, I want to return my Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award to you so that these awards don't become a burden on us in the path of living with honor," she had written in her letter to the PM.
Notably, Bajrang Punia had also returned his Padma Shri Award, placing it on the pavement of Kartavya Path earlier in the month as a symbolic act of protest.
In contrast, Sakshee Malikkh took a different stand, retiring from wrestling in protest against the newly-elected WFI panel in December. The Olympic gold medallist made the announcement with tears in her eyes in a press conference in New Delhi.
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