Cloaked agendas? Or pure rebellion?

ldquoFor you it is only a year All the hard work we put into our game has been a waste of time Some of us even fled our homes because women are not allowed to play sports in our families There were no competitions nor selections of any kind What is the purpose of continuing Now that we wasted one year who will take the responsibilityrdquo a young wrestler told MidDayA chorus of dissent and determination resonated in the capital last week as junior wrestlers gathered to voice their collective discontent against top wrestlers Bajrang Punia Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat for halting their careers Their collective outcry emerges from a deepseated conviction echoing the rallying cry for equity and fair treatment within the sporting realmAlso ReadThank you WarnerldquoThey are famous figures all three of them Of course they have strived hard to reach where they are now They have got nothing to lose from here But what about us We donrsquot have jobs recognition or any international medals If there is no selection camp how will our careers take shape Most of us are not well off even our families have started to give up on our dreams and aspirations We donrsquot want to quit and be married off I donrsquot want to blame anybody but it seems as if nobody cares about usrdquo she lamentedWATCH Young wrestlers hold protests against Olympicwinning wrestlers Sakshee Malikkh Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia at Delhis Jantar Mantar pictwittercom5yHVsksKp8mdash ANI ANI January 3 2024At the core of this demonstration lies a mosaic of grievances each tile representing disparities and impediments faced by junior wrestlers in the pursuit of their decadeold ambitions Their dissent is not a denigration of these esteemed athletes accomplishments rather a plea for broader systemic changes seeking a level playing field for all budding wrestlersAlso ReadShort and sweetBraving the cold conditions about 300 junior wrestlers on January 3 congregated in a silent yet resounding protest beseeching custodians of the sport to address grievances that they perceive as barriers hindering their paths to success lsquoKar diya desh ki kushti ko barbad they have ruined wrestlingrsquo UWW United World Wrestling kushti ko inse bachao UWW save our wrestling from these three wrestlersrsquo read the bannersThree days after the Wrestling Federation of India WFI elections were held following repeated warnings from the global body UWW the saga took a new turn after the sports ministry suspended the newlyelected body for disregarding the established legal norms while appearing to be still in control of former officebearersIt came to be seen that the newlyelected WFI president Sanjay Singh acted primarily on the advice of exchief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in calling for junior nationals in the latterrsquos stronghold Gonda and later announcing the senior nationals Naturally the secretary cried foul and informed the Indian Olympic Association IOA that the decisions were taken without his knowledge and were also against the constitution rules As a consequence several other wrestlers who could have competed in the junior categories for a final time missed out on their chance after the competition was cancelledIt was a symbolic protest We are giving 10 days time to the government to revoke the suspension of the new WFI and allow it to hold age group nationals If they dont do it we will start returning our Arjuna and other awards to the government just like Bajrang and Vinesh have done GrecoRoman wrestler Sunil Rana also an Arjuna awardee and 2023 Asian Games bronze medallist told PTI on the sidelines of the protest which lasted three hoursHowever the protest bore fruit after a threemember committee of the IOA announced dates for the National Championships following which there will be a national camp for all the wrestlers ldquoThe Committee acknowledges the concerns raised by the young wrestlers and is committed to address the issues The Committee is planning to organise the national championships for the U15 and U20 categories within the next 6 weeks at LNIPE Gwaliorrdquo read an official press releaseWithin the cacophony of their protest individual stories weaved a tapestry of struggle and resilience all along Consider a young wrestler from a humble background brimming with potential but remaining in the dark for an entire year Or envision another wrestler who is struggling to make ends meet in search of one golden opportunity to prove herself on the mat These narratives intersect to form a compelling narrative one that embodies the collective yearning for an environment that nurtures talent irrespective of their background or affiliationsldquoThey Punia Phogat and Malik are not losing any opportunity we are The difference is they are choosing to squander it because at this point they can I heard Sakshi had even accused us of running Brij Bhushanrsquos propaganda I canrsquot understand we are in this fight together our fight is not against you all we are raising concerns only because it has impacted our careers especially juniors My sincere request to everybody please donrsquot mix politics with sports let the two stay apartrdquo a GrecoRoman wrestler from UPrsquos Baghpat district said on conditions of anonymity ldquoOur careers now rest in the hands of the government Please donrsquot let us quit this sportrdquo he signed off