Wrestler Vinesh Phogat to return Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award in protest

Vinesh Phogat took to X where she uploaded an open letter to the PM Modi, saying that she will return national awards won by her, including the Khel Ratna

India’s star woman wrestler Vinesh Phogat, following in the footsteps of fellow wrestler Bajrang Punia, announced that she will return her national awards, which include the Major Dhyanchand Khel Ratna and Arjuna Awards, won for her outstanding performance in wrestling.

Like Sakshi, who announced her retirement from the sport, and Bajrang, who announced his intention to return his Padma Shri, Vinesh also took to X (formerly Twitter) to register her protest. This was after the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections were won by the faction supported by Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, the former chief of WFI, against whom many wrestlers protested under the leadership of Bajrang, Sakshi, and Vinesh.

In her open letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Phogat, a gold-medal winner at the World Wrestling Championships, Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games, wrote that she was compelled by the plight of her fellow wrestlers in the battle against Brijbhushan, who faces several allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him by young women wrestlers.

Referring to how Sakshi, after her bronze-winning performance at the Rio Olympics 2016, was made the brand ambassador for the “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” scheme of the central government, Vinesh expressed her concern that women sportspersons seem to be valued only for their roles in government advertising campaigns, while their real struggles are overlooked.

She further stated that seeing Sakshi quit wrestling and Bajrang return his Padma Shri made her feel that it was only appropriate for her to return her awards as well.