Olympics: Sanjay Singh holds wrestler protestors accountable for India's lackluster performance

 According to WFI President Sanjay Singh, wrestlers in India were not given enough time to train for the quadrennial competition, which prevented them from winning many medals.

In Short

• India won only 1 medal in wrestling in the Paris Olympics

• Vinesh Phogat was a part of the wrestlers’ protests

• India had sent a 6-member contingent in wrestling for Paris 2024 

      The WFI president, Sanjay Singh, stated that the wrestlers' protest was the main cause of India's inability to bring home enough medals from the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Only Aman Sehrawat, who placed third in the men's 57kg division, made it to the podium out of the six members of India's delegation. In the third-place playoff, Sehrawat, 21, defeated Darian Cruz, of Puerto Rico.

        Singh, who succeeded Brij Bhushan Singh as WFI chairman last December, said that because of the tensions brought on by the demonstrations, which lasted for over a year, the wrestlers were unable to have adequate time to train for the main event.

      

"When you see it from a different perspective, the whole wrestling community was disrupted by the demonstrations that lasted for 14–15 months. The wrestlers in other categories also suffered since they were unable to train in the absence of national and international competitions. According to Sanjay Singh, India Today, "the wrestlers could not perform well as a result."

Beginning in January 2023, rallies against Brij Bhushan included Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik. Sakshi, the first female Olympic wrestler from India, withdrew last year after Sanjay Singh overtook Brij Bhushan in the top spot.

Vinesh Phogat's fate hangs in balance

Vinesh competed in the women's 50kg division at the Olympics, although it is still unclear if she will take home a medal. The 29-year-old had made history by being the first Indian woman to advance to an Olympic wrestling final, but she was later disqualified when it was discovered that her weight at the weigh-ins was 100 grams over the allowed limit. In the meantime, amid the uproar, Vinesh also announced his retirement from wrestling.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has not yet rendered a decision in response to Vinesh's plea to keep her silver medal. The remaining wrestlers, Anshu Malik (57 kg), Reetika Hooda (76 kg), Nisha Dahiya (68 kg), and Antim Panghal (53 kg), aside from Vinesh and Aman, were unable to leave an impression.