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Tokyo Olympic medalist Bajrang Punia called out the lack of national tournaments ahead of the Paris Olympics 2024. The wrestler emphasised the need to resume wrestling activities ahead of the global tournament and urged the Sports Ministry to do the same on December 30, Saturday. Recently, Punia announced that he would return his Padma Shree after Sanjay Singh won the Wrestling Federation of India polls. Not only this, but he also left his award on a footpath near the official PM residence.
Now, Punia took to social media and called out the lack of national tournaments while urging the Sports Ministry to resume back the activities. His tweet came as the Paris Olympics 2024 is just seven months away. The 29-year-old tweeted, "Wrestling activities have come to a standstill for the last several months. Neither has any nationals nor have any camps been organised to prepare the players. There is an Olympic Games after seven months but no one seems serious about it. Wrestling has given four consecutive medals in the last four Olympics.”
Punia further tweeted, ''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.” The wrestling events in the country have been halted due to the controversial incidents surrounding the WFI and its former chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The wrestling body has been suspended twice in 2023, with the recent one coming after Brij Bhushan’s close aide won the election.
The wrestlers demanded his suspension, which led to the suspension of the newly-elected commission. Notably, wrestling has been a productive event at the Olympics for India with 7 medals, including 2 silvers. Bajrang won bronze while Ravi Kumar Dahiya won silver in the Tokyo edition of the tournament.
