Gurugram: Support poured in for wrestler Bajrang Punia from the INDIA alliance and many fellow wrestlers after he was battered 10-0 by technical superiority by Japan’s Kaiki Yamaguchi in the playoff for bronze in the Hangzhou Asian Games, Friday.
However, not everyone was as supportive of Punia, including family members of wrestler Vishal Kaliraman — the wrestler who qualified for the 65 kg men’s freestyle category but was later asked to be the standby for Punia who was granted direct entry into the Asian Games by the Indian Olympic Association’s ad-hoc committee. Kaliraman’s father told ThePrint that the family was sad for the country because it lost an “assured” medal.
Some on social media also questioned why Punia and Vinesh Phogat were granted direct entry into the Asian Games instead of Kaliraman and Antim Panghal, who won trials in their respective weight categories. Phogat eventually pulled out of the tournament because of an injury and Panghal (19) went on to win a bronze medal in the women’s 53 kg category.
Days before the Asian Games, former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh too had questioned Punia’s direct entry and said he did not have much hope from the wrestlers owing to lack of training. Just three days before the wrestling events were to begin, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had also said that Kaliraman deserved to be sent to the Asian Games and not Punia.
Condemning those who mocked Punia’s performance Friday, the INDIA alliance of opposition parties praised his courage for ‘standing up to’ Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing allegations of sexual harassment.
The alliance made two posts on X (formerly Twitter) using its official handle, saying Punia lost because he had to face a “dictatorial government and a goon, while also fighting for justice for women wrestlers at Jantar Mantar for months”.
“A jamaat (party) that was happy when farmers died, when inappropriate words were uttered about women wrestlers, is now happy because of Bajrang Punia’s defeat. But the parivaar (family) of this jamaat who have never seen what a medal looks like are now happy about the defeat of an Indian sportsperson,” read the initial post.
एक जमात जो किसानों के मरने पर भी ख़ुश थी
महिला पहलवानों को गलत शब्द बोले गए तब भी खुश थी.
आज बजरंग पुनियां की हार पर भी ख़ुश हैं.
मगर इस जमात के परिवार ने आजतक मैडल की शक्ल तक ना देखी वो भारतीय खिलाड़ी की हार पर ख़ुश हैं. कमाल के बेहूदा लोग हैं.#BajrangPunia pic.twitter.com/7fFnnKhPY5
— INDIA Alliance (@2024_For_INDIA) October 6, 2023
In a second post on X, the alliance said its members were proud of Punia and wished him good luck for the Olympics.
Adding that Punia lost in the Asian Games because he had to “stay away from practice” to take part in the protest against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, it said “negligence on the part of the WFI and mental pressure got the better of his hard work”.
बजरंग पूनिया एशियन गेम्स में हार गये पता है क्यों…?
क्योंकि तानाशाह सरकार से लड़ाई लड़ी,
हत्यारे गुंडे के खिलाफ इंसाफ की लड़ाई लड़ी,
महीने तक जंतर मंतर महिला खिलाडियों की न्याय की लड़ाई में साथी बने रहना।
प्रैक्टिस से दूर रहना।
कुश्ती संघ की लापरवाही और अनेकों मानसिक… pic.twitter.com/6qk00agPOd
— INDIA Alliance (@2024_For_INDIA) October 6, 2023
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, meanwhile, said Saturday that had all wrestlers been sent to the Asian games after trials, India would have won a gold in the 65 kg category.
Addressing the media outside the Rouse Avenue Court Complex in the national capital where he was to appear for a hearing, Singh said, “If Punia had been sent to the games after trials, he would have won the gold medal.”
The Bharatiya Janata Party (MP) from UP’s Kaiserganj, Singh added that it was unfortunate that the country did not get any medal in the 65 kg category despite the central and state governments’ thrust on sports. Whoever takes over as president of WFI must ensure wrestlers are sent to international events only after they qualify trials, he said.
Also Read: ‘Bigger parties need to leave arrogance’, say INDIA bloc leaders as Congress skips INLD rally
‘Paris Olympics is waiting for you’
Fellow wrestlers Geeta and Vinesh Phogat, along with Sakshee Malikkh, who had joined Punia in the protests against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, also came out in his support.
Geeta Phogat wrote on X that Punia was the “most successful wrestler in history” and a single defeat will neither erase his achievements nor ruin his future. “Stay strong champion and stand against all injustices. You are our pride. Paris Olympics is waiting for you.”
Phogat is currently a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) posted at Haryana Police Academy, according to the force’s official website.
बजरंग पुनिया आप कुश्ती के इतिहास में most Successful Wrestler हैं…एक हार से ना आपका इतिहास मिट सकता और ना ही आपका भविष्य ख़त्म हो सकता..हमें गर्व है आप जैसे खिलाड़ी पर, हमें गर्व है आप पर जिस तरह से आपने अन्याय के ख़िलाफ़ ना सिर्फ़ आवाज़ उठायी बल्कि आप आज भी उस लड़ाई को लड़… pic.twitter.com/4lSWqTiYHC
— geeta phogat (@geeta_phogat) October 6, 2023
Vinesh Phogat, who is Geeta’s cousin and won a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games, highlighted Punia’s impressive record in her post on X and advised his detractors to “emulate him rather than being jealous of him”.
“Bajrang Punia was a champion, is a champion, and will remain a champion. What he did for women wrestlers no one else even thought of doing. We are indebted to you Bajrang Punia. The real sportsperson is one who rises every time he falls. No victory is the last victory and no loss is the last loss,” she wrote.
जलो मत रीस करो!!!
Olympic🥉
4 world championship 🥈🥉🥉🥉
2 Asian games🥇🥈
3 Commonwealth Games
8 Asian championship 🥇🥇🥈🥈🥈🥈🥉🥉
बजरंग चैंपियन हमेशा था, अभी भी है और हमेशा रहेगा। कुश्ती की महिला खिलाड़ियों के लिए जो उसने किया किसी ने आज तक सोचा भी नहीं। आभारी हैं हम…
— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) October 6, 2023
Malikkh, an Olympic bronze medalist, posted a video message on X saying that Punia was an “inspiration for millions of Indians and a true champion”. She also said that she was saddened by the negativity and hatred displayed by some individuals towards Punia and urged him to ignore them and focus on his goals instead. Malikkh said she was confident that Punia would bounce back stronger and make the country proud again.
wining or losing is the essence of the game 🙏 pic.twitter.com/Bl94pfsIz4
— Sakshee Malikkh (@SakshiMalik) October 7, 2023
‘Punia is unfit for the challenge’
On the other hand, wrestler Vishal Kaliraman’s family as well as the Kaliraman Khap, who had thrown an open challenge to Punia to contest against Kaliraman, said India lost an “assured” medal by selecting Punia who had been “out of practice” for long.
“We said at the onset that if you want a gold medal for the country, send Kaliraman because he had won the trials and was fully prepared for the tough fights. On the other hand, Punia was out of practice for a long time because of his protests,” Kaliraman’s father Subhash told ThePrint.
Ram Kumar Sihag, a former wrestler from Kaliraman’s village Sisai who had been leading Kaliraman Khap’s campaign to secure a place for the 23-year-old in the national wrestling squad, said he was not surprised by Punia’s defeat.
“As one who has done wrestling for long, I knew Bajrang Punia is unfit for the challenge a wrestler has to face in the Asian Games. Wrestling needs hours of practice on a daily basis. Punia’s performance shows it now. He has not just been defeated, but badly battered and humiliated by his opponents with scores like 10-0 and 8-1,” Sihag told ThePrint.
He, however, said the important thing to remember is that it was not Bajrang Punia who lost, “but the country that lost a medal it could have won”.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)