WFI chief blames wrestlers' protests for India's poor medal haul at Olympics | WATCH

New Delhi: Sanjay Singh, the President of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), has attributed India's disappointing performance at the Paris Olympics 2024 to the prolonged wrestlers' protests that disrupted preparations. India, which had high hopes in wrestling, managed to secure only one medal— a bronze—through Aman Sehrawat in the men’s 57kg category. The 21-year-old wrestler defeated Puerto Rico’s Darian Cruz in the third-place match, saving India from a complete medal drought in wrestling.

What has WFI chief said?

Sanjay Singh, who assumed the role of WFI chief in December last year, replacing Brij Bhushan Singh, expressed his concerns over the adverse impact of the protests. "The protests that persisted for 14-15 months created a lot of unrest within the wrestling community," Singh told India Today. He explained that the ongoing tensions left wrestlers with insufficient time and opportunities to prepare for the Olympic event, affecting their overall performance. "Wrestlers across all categories struggled due to the lack of national and international competitions, which significantly hindered their ability to perform at their best," Singh added.

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#WATCH | Varanasi: On CAS extends verdict on wrestler Vinesh Phogat's appeal for a Silver Medal, WFI President Sanjay Singh says, "... India could have won 6 more medals in wrestling but given the disturbance in the sport over the last 15-16 months, we lost many medals... We are… pic.twitter.com/qBheCiqyuF

— ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2024

The protests, spearheaded by prominent wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik, began in January 2023, targeting the then WFI chief, Brij Bhushan Singh. Last year, in a significant turn of events, Sakshi Malik, India's only female wrestler with an Olympic medal, announced her retirement after Sanjay Singh took over as WFI President.

Vinesh Phogat's uncertain Olympic journey

Vinesh Phogat, competing in the women’s 50kg category at the Paris Olympics, faced a challenging situation as her fate remains uncertain. Despite becoming the first Indian woman to qualify for an Olympic wrestling final, she was disqualified after exceeding the permissible weight limit by 100 grams at the weigh-ins. Amidst the ongoing controversy, Vinesh also announced her retirement from wrestling.

CAS' verdict on silver medal

Vinesh has since appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to retain her silver medal, with the verdict still pending. Aside from Vinesh and Sehrawat, the other wrestlers in India's contingent, including Anshu Malik (57kg), Reetika Hooda (76kg), Nisha Dahiya (68kg), and Antim Panghal (53kg), failed to secure medals, further highlighting the challenges faced by Indian wrestling at the Paris Olympics.