Wrestlers’ Protest: Patriarchy, Problems, and Private Agencies

The protests signify resistance against a corrupt system which has snatched away the agency from our wrestlers.

Wrestlers demanding the arrest of WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh during a protest march in New Delhi. 

(Photo: PTI)

The Wrestlers' protest is a landmark event in the history of contemporary India. This is one of the most prolonged periods of protest by International and Olympic-level athletes in recent times, thus challenging the patriarchal attitude of the Indian state towards women in sports.

As the wrestlers have decided to suspend the protest and all activities until 15 June 2023, here's a look back at the last four months of the protests and the impact the protesting wrestlers have had nationwide as observations from the author's personal fieldwork in Haryana and Delhi-NCR.

Effects & Impact Of The Wrestlers' Protests

The protests which started in late January in New Delhi, brought into focus BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India Chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, famous for dealing an 'Iron-hand' with his trainees. His omnipresence and controlling conduct in tournaments, national and global, has been subject to scrutiny. Some even support such an approach as being 'necessary' for leadership.

Despite the widespread support the protests amassed, no significant action has been taken against Brij Bhushan who continues to attend meetings and make public appearances.

However, amidst the danger of suspension of the WFI by the International Olympic Association (IOA), and after having a long discussion with the Sports Minster Anurag Thakur, the wrestlers have agreed to suspend the protests till 15 June 2023.

The Past, Present, and Future of Women's Wrestling

Not too long ago, India celebrated its first Olympic medal in wrestling. Sakshi Malik, a relatively unknown name back then, won India's first Olympic medal in women's wrestling at the Rio Olympics in 2016. Where Geeta Phogat's gold medal victory at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games launched a wrestling revolution in India (especially in Haryana), Sakshi Malik's Olympic medal declared the course successful.

Despite having a relatively short history, women's wrestling at the Olympics was only introduced in the 2004 Athens Olympics, whereas female wrestling has been part of the local Kushtī (aka Pehalwani) circuits since the late 1990s. Before Sakshi Malik, there was Geeta Phogat; before Geeta, there was Alka Tomar, and even before, there was Sonika Kaliraman.

These 'success stories' of female wrestlers have a past of resistance, and the wrestlers' protest at Jantar Mantar is one stepping stone towards reclaiming their bodily autonomy and agency.

The entry of women into the akharas (gymnasium) significantly affected the dynamics of what essentially used to be a 'male-dominated' space. The female wrestlers have come a long way in carving out a space for themselves; first in households, then in akharas, and now at a national level.

One of the great examples of this could be seen at the protest site itself, where the protesting wrestlers did not compromise on their training, and could be seen performing exercises, improvising weight training, running, and stretching. In other words, they were fighting against their condition, but simultaneously carried on with their routine - unfazed.

If their personal fights did not pose as barriers, the fight for justice was a tougher battle and tested their spirits. Added to that is the immense pressure to deliver. "I knew if I did not win the medal, I would be doomed", informed one of my female wrestler interlocutors.

A hard-hitting message at the protest site in Haryana.

Credit: Sant Ram Antil/ The Quint

Protests Garnered Mixed Reactions in Haryana

Currently, three working wrestling academies are dedicated to female wrestlers, with more than 200 active female wrestlers in Sonipat alone. 

One female wrestler told me, "I was inspired by Sakshi and how, against all odds, she won the Olympic medal in her bout. I constantly go back to that 12-minute video on YouTube, whenever somebody discourages me from wrestling. However, when you see your champions dragged like this on the TV, and they decide to throw their medal in the Ganga, one wonders what the point is."

The crackdown on the Wrestlers' protest has left a sour taste in many within the wrestling fraternity in Haryana, evident from the conversations I had with female wrestlers' coaches and other kin in the state. Many have withdrawn their daughters from the wrestling academies. Many believe that the protest has not painted the image of the state and the female wrestlers in glory.

Private Agencies: Boon or Bane for Wrestlers?

The many issues highlighted by the wrestlers during their protest include funding, the control of the WFI on state federations, the influence of private sponsors such as Jindal South-West Foundation (JSW) and Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ), and monitoring of wrestler's activities. 

In 2021, the WFI reached a tripartite arrangement with JSW and OGQ which would allow them to enter into contracts with any wrestlers, with the permission of the WFI. The private organisations will enter into contracts with 'emerging' wrestlers with the 'drive and potential' to win Olympic medals.

The JSWs and OGQs provide support to the wrestlers by providing them with physiotherapists, nutritionists, personal coaches, travelling expenses, equipment, food supplements etc. However, the relationship between the WFI and private sponsors became estranged after the Tokyo Olympics.

In 2022, the WFI president, in an interview, said that these private sponsors, such as OGQ and JSW, are 'spoiling the wrestlers'. The WFI tightened its grip over the working of these independent organisations, and soon after the Tokyo Olympics, the international coaches provided by the private organisations also left. 

On one hand, many wrestlers and coaches believe that entering such organisations suits them as they provide professional and efficient training. A young male wrestler who has earned the organisation's sponsorship said, "My father is a milkman; companies like OGQ and JSW have supported me after my medal in providing much assistance, which I cannot afford." On the other hand, many look at these organisations with scrutiny.

One of the kin of the wrestlers informed me, "I don't like these private companies, because they don't support any wrestlers at the grassroots level, and they only sign you if you achieve something at an international level. However, it also inspires young wrestlers to work hard to be signed by such companies so that they can also do well in the Olympics. It's a stepping stone".

In Haryana's 'Khel Nursery Scheme 2022-23', the government is collaborating with educational institutes (private and government) to provide sportspersons with a sum of Rs 1500 per month for U-15 and Rs 2000 for U-20 trainees. While citing this scheme, one kin laughingly said, "The cost of milk for my son, who is 16 years old, is around Rs 10,000 per month."  

Funding, Money, Job Security: Key Issues 

While both the private and the government bodies left much to be desired at the grassroots level, the protest highlights the lack of proper facilities, coordination, a transparent working environment, and a lack of decentralisation of power among governing bodies of Indian sports.

Most wrestlers come from impoverished backgrounds; they need financial support to maintain a competitive body. Moreover, the style and bodily regime of Indian wrestling are still currently entangled with the traditional Kushtī regime and style. Keeping this in mind, one has to accept the realities of wrestling forms that exist on the ground, and provide the wrestlers assistance according to their needs.

The protest manifests as the government's failure to recognise the wrestlers' needs at the ground level and support them in their pursuit for justice. Neutralising the protests isn't necessarily addressing the concerns, be it social or economical.

For the government, the buck doesn't stop at hearing the demands of the protesting wrestlers. Whether it is about the prize distribution money or the Dronacharya award money, sufficient financial backing must be provided to sportspersons, coaches, and kin for them to sustain participation in this sport and also to flourish.

(Sant Ram Antil is a research scholar at the Department of Sociology at Shiv Nadar University (SNU). This is an opinion piece. The views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for them.)