A day after Bajrang Punia returned his Padma Shri Award to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Virender Singh Yadav, the gold medalist at the 2005 Summer Deaflympics, announced he would do the same in protest. This decision comes after the close aide of Brij Bhushan Singh, Sanjay Singh, was elected as the President of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
Virender Singh Yadav, also known as Goonga Pehalwan, had received the prestigious Padma Shri Award in 2021. Prior to that, he was honored with the Arjuna Award in 2015. Punia, as a mark of protest, placed the Padma Shri Award on the footpath near the Prime Minister's residence on Friday. He declared, “I will give the Padma Shri award to anyone who will take it to PM Modi,” to the Delhi Police.
Announcing his decision on X (formerly Twitter), Virender also called upon cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra to express their stance on the ongoing discord between players and WFI. “I will also return the Padma Shri for my sister and the daughter of the country, Honorable Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Sir. I am proud of your daughter and my sister SakshiMalik,” wrote Virender Singh.
On Thursday, Rio Olympics bronze medalist Sakshi Malik declared her retirement from wrestling after Sanjay Singh's election as WFI president. At the press conference, she removed her shoes, placed them on the dais, and left in tears, stating, "I am dejected and I will not be competing in wrestling anymore."
The Sports Ministry, on Friday, acknowledged Bajrang Punia's personal decision to return his Padma Shri Award and stated that they would attempt to persuade him to reconsider. A ministry official emphasized that WFI elections were conducted fairly and democratically.