Gurugram: Virender Singh, a hearing and speech-impaired wrestler from Haryana, has five Deaflympic medals in the bag already, and is now preparing for a sixth.
As he gears up for next year’s Tokyo Deaflympics, a top sporting event for hearing-impaired athletes held every four years, the award-winning wrestler took to social media platform X Tuesday to seek Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s blessings.
“I sincerely thank the Honorable Prime Minister. You have left no stone unturned in empowering and enriching us, the divyang athletes and individuals. With this honor, I am preparing for my sixth Deaflympics. My hard work, your blessings! Jai Hind!” the wrestler said in his message posted on X.
मैं माननीय प्रधानमंत्री जी का तहे दिल से धन्यवाद करता हूँ,
आपने हम दिव्यांग खिलाड़ियों और दिव्यांगजनों को समृद्ध और सशक्त बनाने में कोई कसर नहीं छोड़ी,
इसी सम्मान के कारण, मैं अपने छठें डेफ ओलंपिक की तैयारी कर रहा हूँ.,
मेहनत मेरी आशीर्वाद आपका! जयहिंद🇮🇳#9YearsOfSugamyaBharat pic.twitter.com/bAyCULDGu7
— Virender Singh (@GoongaPahalwan) December 3, 2024
Over the years, Virender Singh—also known as ‘Goonga Pahalwan’ or Silent Wrestler—has carved an extraordinary legacy for himself in the world of wrestling.
Even though many consider the name disrespectful and politically incorrect, he has embraced and his X handle is @GoongaPehalwan.
The 38-year-old wrestler won three gold medals at the Deaflympics in Australia in 2005, Bulgaria in 2013 and Turkey in 2017, as well as a bronze in Taipei in 2009 and Brazil in 2022.
Apart from the five Deaflympic medals, Singh also has two prestigious national awards under his belt: the Arjuna Award and the Padma Shri.
And now he has his sights set on another feather in his cap.
Preparing for the Deaflympics is gruelling. But Singh’s determination never flags.
Born in the heartland of Haryana, a state known for its boxing traditions, he often posts videos of his intense training regimen on social media, showing him digging mud in a makeshift akhada or dragging a cement block through the mud while gripping weights in his hand.
“Never stop dreaming. The day you stop dreaming, understand that you’ve been defeated,” he wrote in a message on X in May with a video of his preparations for the Tokyo Deaflympics.
“In 2005, I won my first Deaf Olympics, and now I am preparing for my sixth Olympics in 2025… The love and blessings of all my fellow countrymen never let me lose! Jai Hind!” he added.
Hitting the akhadas since he was 8
Virender Singh has had an extraordinary journey so far.
Born on April 1, 1986, in Sasroli village, Jhajjar district, he showed early signs of exceptional strength and determination. His father, Ajit Singh, himself a wrestling trainer, introduced him to wrestling at the young age of eight.
Overcoming communication barriers, Virender Singh mastered the nuances of freestyle wrestling, training under coaches who innovatively used visual cues and hand gestures.
Despite minimal funding and inadequate training facilities, his family always ensured he received the best nutrition by providing milk, ghee, and fresh vegetables.
Soon, Virender Singh was fighting in traditional dangals in north India and beating other wrestlers.
Since funding was always tough, he used the winnings of these fights to support himself. A win would get him between Rs 5,000 and Rs 20,000.
Over the years, he has repeatedly showcased his prowess by defeating able-bodied wrestlers at the national level, earning him widespread admiration and the moniker ‘Goonga Pahalwan’.
After his early years of training and fighting in India, he went global and established himself as one of the most decorated hearing-impaired wrestlers in the world.
Apart from the Deaflympics, he has also clinched two World Deaf Wrestling Championship titles in Iran in 2016 and Russia in 2018.
But the road to the top hasn’t been easy for Virender Singh.
In 2001, he was rejected for the national team for the Olympics because the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) said he might not be able to follow the referee’s instructions properly. International Olympic Committee rules allow athletes with a hearing impairment to participate in the Olympics.
But his father was determined and Virender Singh continued to wrestle in village dangals in India—while looking for a way to compete internationally.
His family then got to know that there were special games where athletes like him could compete. In 2005, Virender Singh participated in his first Deaflympics in Melbourne—and went on to win his first international medal
He’s been on a roll since then.
“I cannot hear or speak, my beloved countrymen…But the messages you send on my social media feel nothing less than a blessing for me,” he wrote in another message on X.
“You always give me courage and strength… As long as I play for the country, I will play with dedication and honesty! Jai Hind!” he added.
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Not afraid to speak out
Virender Singh is a fighter both inside and outside the akhara.
He may not be able to speak or hear, but his social media is never silent. Singh is exceptionally active on social media and is always among the first to “speak out” on X against injustice in the sporting world, whether it’s the fight for justice by women wrestlers or any other sportsperson.
For instance, when Olympic winner Sakshi Malik announced her retirement from wrestling in December last year, after protesting wrestlers were forcibly lifted from their dharna site at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, Virender Singh came out in support.
He posted a message on X announcing his decision to surrender his Padma award and tagged javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar in the post.
“I will also return my Padma Shri for my sister and the daughter of our nation. Honorable Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji, I am proud of your daughter and my sister @SakshiMalik… but why? I would also urge the highest-level athletes of the country to share their stance on this matter,” he wrote.
मैं भी अपनी बहन और देश की बेटी के लिए पदम् श्री लौटा दूँगा, माननीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी को, मुझे गर्व है आपकी बेटी और अपनी बहन @SakshiMalik पर… जी क्यों…?
पर देश के सबसे उच्च खिलाड़ियों से भी अनुरोध करूँगा वो भी अपना निर्णय दे…@sachin_rt @Neeraj_chopra1 pic.twitter.com/MfVeYdqnkL
— Virender Singh (@GoongaPahalwan) December 22, 2023
He stood behind Sakshi Malk even after the Sports Ministry suspended the WFI headed by former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s protégé Sanjay Singh.
Virender Singh posted his picture with the Padma Shri award with a message, “I respect the decision of the Government of India, but I will wear the Padma Shri on my chest only when our nation’s pride, sister @SakshiMalik, and the country’s women wrestlers receive the full respect they deserve…Move forward, sisters, we stand behind you! #JaiHind”.
मैं भारत सरकार के फ़ैसलें का सम्मान करता हूँ लेकिन पद्म श्री सीने पर तभीं लगाऊँगा, जब तक हमारे देश की गौरव बहन @SakshiMalik ओर देश की महिला कुश्ती पहलवानो को पूरा सम्मान नहीं मिलेगा…
आगे बढ़ो बहनों, हम तुम्हारे पीछे खड़े है! #जयहिंद 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/Z22rSZE1Xa
— Virender Singh (@GoongaPahalwan) December 24, 2023
Over the years, Virender Singh has also emerged as the voice of other athletes with disability.
A documentary film on his life, Goonga Pahalwan, released in 2014 highlighted the unequal treatment and limited opportunities disabled athletes face from the government and society. It also aimed to advocate for policy changes to benefit disabled athletes through greater inclusion and cash awards.
Three years ago, he sat on an indefinite protest outside Haryana Bhawan in New Delhi demanding para-athlete (athletes with disability) status for hearing-impaired athletes from the then Manohar Lal Khattar government.
Apart from other athletes, Virender Singh is rarely afraid to fight for himself.
In January this year, he expressed his disappointment when the government didn’t consider his name for the Khel Ratna Award. He also accused the Haryana government of not fulfilling its promise of a Rs 8 crore reward under its policy.
Virender Singh posted a message on X with a video of him placing his medals on the ground in which he tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the then sports minister, Anurag Thakur.
माननीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी, व माननीय खेलमंत्री श्री @ianuragthakur जी, मुझे पांच डेफ ओलंपिक मेडल जीतने के बाद भी खेल रत्न नही मिला, और न ही हरियाणा सरकार ने पॉलिसी के तहत आठ करोड़ रुपये दिए, मेरा गुनाह इतना है मैं मूक-बधिर दिव्यांग खिलाडी हूँ..! #जयहिंद🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/n9KJGQGJUY
— Virender Singh (@GoongaPahalwan) January 9, 2024
“Despite winning five Deaf Olympic medals, I have not received the Khel Ratna Award, nor has the Haryana government given me the eight crore rupees as per the policy. My only fault is that I am a deaf and mute divyang athlete,” he wrote.
Wrestler Vinesh Phogat came out in his support.
“It is shameful to see such a great wrestler of the nation being pushed into this situation. The government should not overlook Virender Pehalwan. We stand with Virender Pehalwan Ji under all circumstances,” she said in a post on X.
In January this year, Virender Singh posted another message on X with a break-up of the amount he claimed to have been denied.
हरियाणा सरकार द्वारा..
वर्ष 2016 मे वर्ल्ड डेफ चैंपियनशिप गोल्ड जीतने पर कुल राशि = 0
वर्ष 2017 मे डेफ ओलंपिक गोल्ड जीतने पर 1 करोड़ 20 लाख दिए, घोषणा 6 करोड़?
वर्ष 2022 मे डेफ ओलंपिक ब्रांज़ मेडल, मिलने थे ढाई करोड़ दिए 40 लाख?
केंद्र सरकार खेल रत्न के लिए वर्ष 2017 से 2024? https://t.co/KF7uv4vfc3
— Virender Singh (@GoongaPahalwan) January 23, 2024
“By the Haryana government: In 2016, for winning a gold medal in the World Deaf Championship, total amount awarded = 0,” he wrote.
“In 2017, for winning a gold medal in the Deaf Olympics, 1.2 crore was given, but the announcement was for 6 crore. In 2022, for winning a bronze medal in the Deaf Olympics, 40 lakh was given, though 2.5 crore was supposed to be awarded,” he added in the tweet.
However, the Haryana government’s sports policy framed in 2018 reveals that the government doesn’t include the Deaflympics in its sports policy.
It was only in 2022 that the state government gave him Rs 1.2 crore for his gold in 2017 and Rs. 40 lakh for a bronze in 2017.
Virender Singh doesn’t just post on sporting issues. In December last year, he posted a video with his toddler daughter Khushi and son Mandeep.
“My wife and I cannot speak or hear, but both our children can. After Mandeep, now Khushi has also proven her ability to speak,” he wrote.
“I cannot hear, but you tell me, how does Khushi speak? It is by the grace of God and the blessings of you, my fellow countrymen, that while we cannot speak or hear, our children can!” he added.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
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