BAJRANG'S DECISION BAFFLES KADYAN

I dropped wrestler home after election, but he didn’t tell me anything: WFI senior vice-president

-  FIROZ MIRZA

ON a day when Bajrang Punia decided to return his Padma Shri (2019), the Wrestling Federation of India announced the dates for the all-important senior nationals in January-February next year. Bajrang was stopped before reaching the Prime Minister's residence to return the award. In an emotional letter, he reasoned out the decision. However, the whole episode has left Bajrangbacked senior vice-president, Devender Kadyan a little baffled. He was among the two candidates elected in the 15-member office bearers list. Prem Chand Lochab, former secretary of the Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) was elected the secretary.

Hailing from Haryana, Kadyan, also a BJP leader, is considered close to Bajrang and was also associated with the protest the wrestlers launched against former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in January. He came to know about the decision of Sakshi Malik, an integral part of the protest, to quit wrestling through the media and even met her personally in the national capital after being elected. "I met Sakshi in the evening but by then she had already addressed the press conference and announced her decision to quit wrestling in protest," Kadyan told this daily.