Congress MP Rahul Gandhi visited an akhada in Haryana's Jhajjar district on Wednesday, December 27, 2023, and met with a group of wrestlers including Olympian Bajrang Punia.
Bajrang Punia has tendered an unconditional apology to wrestling coach Naresh Dahiya for sullying his name during their protest against the then WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
The suspension means that Bajrang Punia will not be able to return to competitive wrestling and apply for a coaching job abroad
Delhi court grants wrestler Bajrang Punia exemption from personal appearance in defamation case
Bajrang becomes 1st Indian to win 4 medals at world wrestling championships
'Finally sharing it with my better half. It's her moral support and love that gives me that 'extra' boost to excel,' Bajrang tweeted with a picture of missus and medal.
Wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat met former Congress president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on Wednesday amid speculation that the two star grapplers could be fielded in the Haryana assembly polls by the party.
Olympic medallist Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia said it was a vindictive move by the government which would quash the ban if he joins the BJP.
World No. 1 Bajrang Punia won his second gold medal in two weeks after defeating Viktor Rassadin in the final of the men's 65kg freestyle in the Ali Aliyev wrestling tournament in Kaspiisk, Russia.
Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday refused to involve himself in the boiling controversy over wrestler Bajrang Punia returning his Padma Shri.
Punia is planning to skip the trials for the World Championships on August 25 and 26 and instead wants to train at a foreign location to prepare for the Asian Games
Wrestler Bajrang Punia said he has already cleared a major milestone, the Olympics qualifier round and now his focus was on the Tokyo Games. after the Asian Wrestling Championship he started working on his weaknesses.
Indian wrestling's new star Bajrang Punia, on Tuesday, reached India after a triumphant Asian Games campaign and was welcomed by his guru and senior wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt.
Gandhi's meeting with the wrestlers comes against the backdrop of a controversy surrounding the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
'These three wrestlers (Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik) are indirectly or directly part of the Congress.'
The Delhi High Court has dismissed petitions filed by top wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Satyawart Kadian challenging the Wrestling Federation of India's December 2023 elections.
Punia is the second seed in men's 65kg category in Tokyo, the one on whose shoulders rest India's hopes of winning the country's first Olympic gold in wrestling.
Olympic medallist wrestler Bajrang Punia has claimed that he refused to provide urine samples during the selection trials in Sonepat in March because the dope control officials failed to furnish adequate proof that they were carrying proper equipment to conduct the tests.
Bajrang Punia criticised Brij Bhushan for his comments on the medal won by the grapplers.
Such was Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang's dominance in the 65kg competition that he won three of his four bouts inside first rounds.
Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia said few were trying to steer the movement in a different direction, but refused to name them.
A look at the careers of Indian sportspersons who have transitioned into politics, highlighting their successes, failures, and party affiliations.
India's Sujeet and Abhimanyou secured gold medals in their respective freestyle categories at the Senior Asian Wrestling Championships, while Sandeep Mann won silver and Ankush took bronze.
'We will give him a grand welcome on his return'
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The elite wrestler has maintained that he never refused to give a sample but only demanded to know NADA's response to his email where he sought answers over why expired kits were sent to take his samples in December 2023.
Metropolitan Magistrate Yashdeep Chahal directed Punia to appear before the court on September 6, holding he is of the "prima facie" view that all the ingredients of defamation were made out.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has condoled the loss of lives in the blast in the national capital on Monday evening and wished for a speedy recovery to the injured.
Bajrang Punia has been handed a provisional suspension for refusing to give his sample for dope test during the recent trials.
Punia had trained in Russia to prepare for the trials, which are being organised by the IOA ad-hoc panel.
'I am ready to undergo narco test, polygraph test or lie detector test, but my condition is that Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia should also undergo these tests with me'
Sports stars in Haryana stepped out to cast their vote on Saturday.
Star grapplers Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia on Friday welcomed Delhi court's decision to frame sexual harassment charges against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, calling it a big victory for country's women wrestlers.
'It is Bajrang Punia's personal decision to return the Padma Shri. The WFI polls were held in fair and democratic manner. We will still try to persuade Bajrang to reverse his decision to return Padma Shri.'
The WFI ad-hoc panel on Tuesday handed Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia and World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat direct entries into the Asian Games.
Delhi HC open to IOA reconstituting ad hoc panel for WFI's functioning
'We will appear in the trials only if the ad-hoc panel or the government conducts it. How can a suspended body announce the trials.'
'We have not insulted any sportsmen in the state'
Vinesh Phogat is reportedly weighing a potential leap into politics.
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