Indian wrestlers including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat restart protest against WFI

The controversy surrounding Indian wrestling refuses to die down as top Indian wrestlers including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, and others are back at Jantar Mantar to re-start their protest against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).

As per reports, the wrestlers have reached the protest site in Jantar Mantar - more than three months after they called off their initial protests following assurances from Sports Minister Anurag Thakur.

The wrestlers are expected to address the media at 4pm IST on Sunday.

As per fresh reports coming in, a bunch of female wrestlers have filed FIRs against WFI officials at the Connaught Place police station. Tokyo Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia confirmed the same.

The wrestlers have, so far, maintained that the demands from their protest in January earlier this year have not been met.

Multiple media reports over the past month suggested that the wrestlers have failed to provide any evidence to backup their sexual harassments allegations, but the wrestlers have constantly denied it.

Amidst all this, the WFI India hosted the U17 Cadet Nationals in Gonda - the home turf of the erstwhile WFI president Brij Bushan Sharan Singh, earlier this month.

As per reports, the national federation is also expected to undergo polls early next month with Brij Bushan Sharan Singh not to fight for the president's post.

The likes of Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia also skipped the 2023 Asian Wrestling Championships held earlier this month in Astana, since their problems were not resolved.