Tag: bajrang punia

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Bajrang Punia, Ravi Dahiya Eliminated From Paris Olympics Qualification Race | Wrestling News

File photo of Bajrang Punia© X (formerly Twitter)Bajrang Punia and Ravi Dahiya -- both Tokyo Games medallists -- were on Sunday eliminated from the race for the Paris Olympics qualification after losing their respective bouts in the selection trials for the upcoming international tournaments. Punia, who was a prominent face of protest against former WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, suffered a crushing 1-9 defeat in the men's freestyle 65kg semifinal against to Rohit Kumar. This was after he barely managed to win against Ravinder (3-3 on criteria). If Ravinder had not conceded a caution point in the bout, Punia would have been eliminated in the opening bout itself.Punia left the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Centre here in a huff after being eliminated. The National Anti-Doping...
Sports

Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia Accuse WFI Of Using Devious Means To Get Suspension Lifted, Threaten Fresh Protest | Wrestling News

Olympic medal-winning grapplers Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia on Wednesday alleged that national federation chief Sanjay Singh used devious means to get the suspension on WFI lifted by United World Wrestling (UWW) and threatened to restart their agitation against the body. The UWW on Tuesday lifted the provisional suspension on India but directed the national federation to provide written guarantees that there would be no discriminatory action against the protesting trio of Punia, Malik and Vinesh Phogat. The suspension was imposed by UWW in August last year after the WFI failed to hol...
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Bajrang Punia Urges Sports Ministry To Restart Wrestling Activities Ahead Of Paris Olympics | Wrestling News

Bajrang Punia said the preparation for the Olympics needed urgent attention.© AFPOlympic medallist Bajrang Punia on Saturday urged the Sports Ministry to restart the wrestling activities in the country with just seven months remaining for next year's Paris Games, and said no one seemed to have taken the preparations for the quadrennial showpiece seriously. Wrestling action has come to a standstill for the last several months owing to the turmoil within the fraternity following the grapplers' protests against former president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.Even the election of a new Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) committee could not restore normalcy as the Sports Ministry suspended the Sanjay Singh-led panel citing the violation of its own constitution in announcing the national U-15 and...
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“Don’t Want Any Honour Till Sisters, Daughters Get Justice”: Bajrang Punia On Taking Back Padma Shri | Wrestling News

Olympic medalist Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia on Sunday said that he will not take back his Padma Shri award that he returned to the government until justice is given to his "sisters and daughters" fighting against sexual harassment and their perpetrators. Bajrang's tweet comes after a major decision in light of fresh protests by star wrestlers Sakshi Malik and Punia over the election of an aide of deposed Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) former president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh as the new president of the wrestling federation.However, the Union Sports Ministry on Sunday suspended the sport's premier governing body in the country along with all its office-bearers."We trust only in God I returned my Padma Shri award for my sisters and daughters; I returned it for their honor and I ...
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Sports Minister Anurag Thakur Refuses To Get Embroiled In Bajrang Punia controversy | Wrestling News

File image of Bajrang Punia© AFPSports Minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday refused to involve himself in the boiling controversy over wrestler Bajrang Punia returning his Padma Shri in protest against the election of Sanjay Singh, a Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh loyalist, as the president of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). Olympic medallist Punia had reached the Kartavya Path in New Delhi on Friday to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and hand over a protest letter but kept the Padma Shri medallion on a footpath there being blocked by the policemen."I have already spoken enough. No more comments,” said Thakur here at the SAI centre on the sidelines of a function to honour eminent athletes and Asian Games medal winners.Thakur also inaugurated new hostel facilities and a Synthetic Athleti...
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Olympic Medallist Bajrang Punia Accuses National Anti-Doping Agency Of Using Expired Equipment For Tests | Wrestling News

File photo of Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia© AFPWrestler Bajrang Punia, who won the bronze medal for India in the Tokyo Olympics 2020, alleged that the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) was using using expired and outdated equipment while conducting dope tests on athletes. In a video that he posted on social media, Punia showed that he was visited by the NADA officials for a test but the equipment were past their expiry date. The wrestler showed that syringes and vials that the officials were carrying and made a request to the authorities to look into the matter. He also tagged NADA in his post on social media along with the entire video."This is a very important video for all of us to watch and consider. How to trust the system if procedures are not followed. How can one ensure that t...
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Wrestler Bajrang Punia Gets Bail In Criminal Defamation Case | Wrestling News

File photo of wrestler Bajrang Punia.Wrestler Bajrang Punia was on Thursday granted bail by a Delhi court in a criminal defamation case filed by coach Naresh Dahiya, who had accused the top wrestler of tarnishing his image with his statement during the protest against federation chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. During the wrestlers' protest, Bajrang had said that Dahiya did not have any credibility to oppose the agitation since he himself was facing a rape case.Dahiya had then moved the court, which had summoned Bajrang, who recently suffered defeat at the Asian Games to return without a medal."Bajrang had sought exemption from physical appearance and missed the first three hearings. He appeared physically today and the court has granted him bail. The next date for hearing is March 5," ...
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Asian Games 2023: Bajrang Punia Makes Medal-less Exit; Aman Wins Bronze | Asian Games News

Bajrang Punia, who entered the Asian Games after escaping the selection trials, suffered embarrassing defeats to make a medal-less exit from Hangzhou even as three other Indian wrestlers, including the talented Aman Sehrawat, won bronze medals on Friday. An under-prepared Bajrang, who spent a major part of this year protesting against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, began with two easy wins but appeared clueless against the formidable Iranian Rahman Amouzadkhalili and Japan's Kaiki Yamaguchi.(Asian Games 2023 Medals Tally | Asian Games 2023 Full Schedule)Vishal Kaliraman had won the Asian Games trials but the IOA ad-hoc panel, led by Bhupender Singh Bajwa, had handed Bajrang a direct entry, a decision which invited criticism from the wrestling fraternity.Sending defending champion ...
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Bajrang Punia Skips World Wrestling Championships Trials In Patiala, Set To Leave For Kyrgyzstan To Prepare For Asian Games | Wrestling News

Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia is set to leave for Issyk-kul in Kyrgyzstan to train for the upcoming Asian Games after skipping the trials for the World Championship held in Patiala on Saturday. The World Championship is scheduled to commence in Belgrade on September 16 and with Bajrang skipping the trials, he has made it clear he just wants to concentrate on the continental showpiece in Hangzhou. "Bajrang did not appear for the trials for the Worlds in Patiala today. He has submitted his fitness certificate as required by the Sports Authority of India and should leave for Kyrgyzstan shortly to train for the Asian Games," said IOA-constituted ad-hoc committee member for wrestling Gian Singh on Saturday.Bajrang had requested the Sports Ministry he wanted to skip the World Championships ...
Sports

Sports Ministry Clears Bajrang, Deepak Punia’s Proposals For Foreign Training | Wrestling News

The Sports Ministry's Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) has cleared wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Deeepak Punia's proposals to miss the World Championships trials and train abroad till the Asian Games, after receiving desired fitness certificates from the two athletes. The Sports Authority of India (SAI) wanted Olympic-medallist wrestler Bajrang to attend the trials for the World Championships or provide fitness certificate, if he wants exemption from this week's exercise in Patiala. Bajrang wanted to skip the trials for the World Championships on August 25 and 26 and train at a foreign location to prepare for the Asian Games in Hangzhou beginning September 23.Bajrang, one of the six wrestlers to sit in protest at the Jantar Mantar against outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and Common...