Bajrang Punia calls for resumption of wrestling activities ahead of Paris Olympics

PTC News Desk: Olympic medalist Bajrang Punia urged the Sports Ministry on Saturday to restart wrestling activities in the country with only seven months until next year's Paris Games, saying no one seemed to be taking the quadrennial showpiece seriously. Wrestling activity has been halted for several months due to internal strife following the grapplers' protests against former president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Even the election of a new Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) committee was unable to restore normalcy, as the Sports Ministry suspended the Sanjay Singh-led panel for violating its own constitution by announcing the national U-15 and U-20 Championships.

"Wrestling activities have come to a halt for several months. No nationals have been held, and no camps have been organised to prepare the players (for the Paris Olympics)," Punia took to X and posted.

Punia, who had decided to return his Padma Shri in protest of Sanjay Singh's election as a Brij Bhushan loyalist, also stated that Olympic preparations needed immediate attention.

"There will be an Olympic Games in seven months, but no one appears to be serious about it. In the last four Olympics, wrestling has given four consecutive medals," he said.

Punia, a 65kg freestyle bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, believes officials should consider the players' long-term prospects.

"So, I request the Sports Ministry to start all wrestling activities as soon as possible so that the future of the players can be saved," he said in a statement.