Wrestler Vignesh Phogat writes to PM Modi, will return nationwide awards

Ms. Phogat stated she didn\’t need the awards to turn into a \”burden on the trail to residing with dignity.\”

New Delhi:

Lower than every week after Sakshi Malik introduced her retirement from wrestling and reinstated Bajrang Punia for the Padma Shri, Vinesh Phogat, the third-biggest wrestler who was a part of the protests towards former Indian Wrestling Federation president Brij Bhushan Charan Singh, has introduced that she\’s going to retire from wrestling. The Khel Ratna and Arjuna awards had been returned to her.

Brij Bhushan, a BJP MP, has been accused of sexual harassment by a number of feminine wrestlers, and Ms. Malik, Mr. Punia and Ms. Phogat have been on the forefront of protests towards him.

The selections for the wrestlers have been made in fast succession within the house of six days since a committee led by Sanjay Singh, an in depth affiliate of Brij Bhushan, gained the Wrestling Federation of India elections by a landslide on Thursday, indicating continuity of management within the physique. The committee was suspended by the Ministry of Sports activities on Sunday.

In an emotional open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, Ms Phogat, who has gained gold medals at each the Commonwealth Video games and Asian Video games, questioned whether or not girls\’s wrestling was created simply to adorn authorities ads, and stated she would deliver again the Khel Ratna and Arjuna trophies so Don\’t turn into a “burden on the trail to residing with dignity.”

She additionally stated that the wrestlers had been thought-about the satisfaction of the nation once they gained medals, however now they\’re being branded traitors as a result of they demanded justice.

\”Your own home daughter\”

Within the letter written in Hindi, Ms Phogat says: \”Sakshi Malik has stopped wrestling and introduced again Bajrang Punia Padma Shri. The entire nation is aware of why the gamers who gained Olympic medals for the nation needed to do all this; and you\’re the president of the nation, so this must be the case.\” \”It has additionally reached you. Prime Minister, I\’m Vinesh Phogat, the daughter of your own home and I\’m writing to you this letter to tell you of the situation I\’ve been in for the previous yr.\”

“I keep in mind in 2016, when Sakshi Malik gained a medal within the Olympics, your authorities named her because the model ambassador of ‘Beti Bachao Beti Badhao’. When this was introduced, all the feminine athletes within the nation had been completely happy and despatched congratulations.” Messages to one another. Right this moment, ever since Sakshi needed to stop wrestling, I do not forget that yr again and again. She questioned: “Are we feminine gamers created solely to look in authorities ads?”