Vinesh Phogat to return Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award

Star wrestler Vinesh Phogat on Tuesday decided to return her Khel Ratna and Arjuna award to Prime Minister, saying that such honours have become meaningless in current situation where grapplers are struggling bly for justice.

Phogat, two-time World Championship medal winner, announced her decision in her letter penned for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In letter posted on X, Phogat said ir lives are not like those "fancy government vertisements" that talk about women empowerment and upliftment.

" Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna and Arjuna awards don't have any meaning in my life now. Every woman in this country wants to le a dignified life. So PM sir I want to return my Dhyan Chand and Arjun award to you so that se awards don't become a burden on us in our endeavour to le a dignified life," she wrote in her letter.

Vinesh was conferred with Khel Ratna, highest sports honour in India, in 2020 while she received Arjuna Award in 2016.

Phogat's decision comes days after Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia and Deafylmpics champion Virender Singh Yav returned ir Pma Shri awards despite government suspending newly elected WFI.

Sanjay Singh was elected as Wrestling Federation of India's chief last week. He is an associate of Brij Bhushan Singh Sharan and wrestlers did not want any one close to BJP MP entering WFI.

Brij Bhushan was accused of sexual harassment of several women wrestlers by Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik. y h held a long drawn protest at Jantar Mantar early this year.

matter is being in a Delhi court.

Sports Ministry said it has alrey done a lot and will again try to convince m to review ir decisions. "We have alrey suspended new WFI body taking cognizance of matter. We have suspended newly-elected body for not following provisions of its own constitution," said a ministry official "Returning awards is ir way of protest. But we have alrey asked IOA to form an -hoc body which run WFI till fresh elections.

"We will try to convince and request wrestlers to take back ir awards," he ded.

Phogat said she was on cloud nine when y were chosen for spreing government messages but is dismayed at current situation.

"I remember in 2016 when Sakshi won Olympic medal your government h me her brand ambassor of 'Beti bachao beti phao' campaign. When we got to know about this, this country's women were happy and were sending each or congratulatory messages.

"Today when Sakshi was forced to leave wrestling, I keep remembering that year. Are we women athletes re only for government s? We have no objection to publishing those vertisements because, from slogan written in m, it seems that your government wants to work seriously for upliftment of daughters." newly-elected WFI panel has however, been suspended by Sports Ministry for not following provisions of its constitution while taking decisions and also asked IOA to constitute an -hoc panel to manage affairs of sports body.

In suspending fresh panel, government cited its "hasty announcement" of organising U-15 and U-20 nationals "without following due procedure and not giving sufficient notice to wrestlers" for preparations.

"In what condition Bajrang (Punia) decided to return his Pma Shri is not known to me. But when I saw his photo, I was suffering from inside. After that, I also started hating my awards. When I got se awards my mor distributed sweets to neighbours." "I want to get rid of that picture of Vinesh accepting award because that was a dream and whatever happening now with us is reality." "When I met you (PM) I told you also about matter. We have been on streets for last year for justice but nobody is taking us seriously." Vinesh urged PM to listen to Brij Bhhushan's "crude" statements against women wrestlers.

" exploiter has declared his dominance and raised slogans in a very crude manner. Just spare 5 minutes of your life and listen to statements given by that man in media, you will know what all he has done.

"He has described women wrestlers as Manthra. He mitted to making women wrestlers uncomfortable on TV openly and didn't leave even a single opportunity to humiliate women players. What is more serious is that it has forced many female wrestlers to step back. This is very scary." "Sometimes I wonder whenever my aunties and relatives see our plight now on TV, what y have been telling my mor. No mor in this country will want her daughter to suffer like this, " she said.