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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday refused to involve himself in the boiling controversy over wrestler Bajrang Punia returning his Padma Shri.
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.'
Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia has voiced his support for Vinesh Phogat after her unsuccessful return to competitive wrestling at the Asian Games selection trials, urging her to persevere despite the setback.
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.
Bajrang Punia criticised Brij Bhushan for his comments on the medal won by the grapplers.
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.
Such was Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang's dominance in the 65kg competition that he won three of his four bouts inside first rounds.
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.
Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia said few were trying to steer the movement in a different direction, but refused to name them.
Indian wrestler Aman Sehrawat won the men's 57kg gold medal at the Asian Games, defeating North Korea's world champion Chong Song Han in the final.
Indian wrestlers secured a six-medal haul, including two golds, at the Asian Games in Nagoya, overcoming injuries and form slumps. Gold medallists Aman Sehrawat and Sujeet Kalkal, along with silver winners Nitesh Siwach and Antim Panghal, and bronze medallists Deepak Punia and Sunil Kumar, are now setting their sights on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, expressing determination to bring home more glory.
'We will give him a grand welcome on his return'
Asian Games silver medallist Deepak Punia discusses the impact of the wrestlers' protest on his career and his aspirations for the upcoming Asian Games.
Archer Kumkum Mohod and wrestler Sujeet Kalkal have been named the first recipients of the Jaspal Rana Award and Raja Randhir Singh Award, respectively, by the Indian Olympic Association. These awards recognise their exceptional performances at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, where Mohod secured two archery golds and Kalkal won gold in wrestling.
Asian Games gold medalist wrestler Sujeet Kalkal's father, Dayanand, shared insights into his son's remarkable journey, highlighting his transition from football to wrestling, his academic excellence as a non-medical science topper, and his recent triumph at the Asian Games.
The Asian Games, a major multi-sport event, has a long history of controversies extending beyond the sporting arena. From diplomatic disputes and selection rows to doping scandals and disputed decisions, these incidents have often highlighted the intersection of politics, national interests, and sports.
World Championships medallist Vinesh Phogat announced that women wrestlers will appeal a Delhi court's decision to acquit former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Vinod Tomar in a sexual harassment case.
India concluded its Asian Games campaign in Nagoya with a creditable fourth place, securing 85 medals, including 21 golds. The final days saw a surge in gold medals, notably from the cricket and hockey teams, and historic individual wins by 17-year-old archer Kumkum Mohod and golfer Pranavi Urs.
World Championships medallist Vinesh Phogat announced that women wrestlers will appeal a Delhi court's decision to acquit former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and co-accused Vinod Tomar in a sexual harassment case. Phogat expressed deep sadness over the verdict and alleged that Singh used his influence to intimidate complainants, but affirmed the wrestlers' resolve to continue their fight for justice.
'Sports has been politicised, it is a sad thing': Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia Joining Congress
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.
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.
Indian wrestler Sujeet Kalkal, dominant in the 65kg category, attributes his success to consistency and self-belief, focusing on self-improvement and rigorous training for upcoming challenges like the Asian Games and World Championships.
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'
India's new men's freestyle wrestling coach Shako Bentinidis believes Sujeet Kalkal has the potential to become an Olympic medallist but must further sharpen his technical skills. He also urged Indian coaches to continuously upgrade themselves through greater exposure to international training methods and evolving tactical trends in the sport.
