Bajrang Punia is an Indian freestyle wrestler who has been in the news for his sit-in protest with other wrestlers against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Singh.
Punia is ranked first in his weight category, 65 kg, by United World Wrestling and is the only Indian wrestler to have won four World Wrestling Championship medals. He is also a recipient of India’s fourth-highest civilian award, Padma Shri, which he gave up during his protest against the WFI president who was accused of sexual harassment. He is the only Indian wrestler to have won three medals at the World Wrestling Championship.
Bajrang Punia: Early Life & Education
Born on 26 February 1994 in Jhajjar, Haryana, Bajrang Punia grew up in a rural area and did not have the means to pursue traditional sports; hence, he used to play kabaddi and wrestling.
Being a wrestler himself, his father motivated him to take up the sport, and gradually, he got a good handle on it. Punia started wrestling at the age of seven and attended a local mud wrestling school. Once he moved to higher grades, his talents showed up, and he began winning competitions. Coach Sujeet Maan trained him at the Chhatrasal stadium and turned him into a wrestler with a winning calibre at international events.
Who is Bajrang Punia: Personal Information
| Full Name | Bajrang Punia |
| Date of Birth | 26 February, 1994 |
| Place of Birth | Jhajjar, Haryana, India |
| Spouse | Sangeeta Phogat |
| Sports | Wrestling |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Height | 1.66 meters |
| Weight | 65 kg |
| Awards | Arjuna Award, Padma Shri, Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award |
Bajrang Punia: Career
Bajrang started his career by competing in the 2013 Asian and World Wrestling Championships, where he won a bronze medal. The very next year, he won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, which gave him recognition at the national level.
The Asian Wrestling Championship held in Delhi in 2017 was his first Gold medal at the international level, which did his confidence a world of good. He went on to win Gold medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, ranking the world’s no. 1 in the 65 kg freestyle category.
Punia also won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 and gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The Union government, the Haryana government, the Indian Olympic Association, and the BCCI awarded him for his Olympic win.
Bajrang Punia has been active in recent protests against the Wrestling federation chief over alleged sexual harassment of female wrestlers.
Medals Won
| 2013 World Wrestling Championship | Bronze |
| 2014 Asian Games | Silver |
| 2017 Asian Wrestling Championship | Gold |
| 2017 World U-23 Wrestling Championship | Silver |
| 2018 Asian Games | Gold |
| 2018 Commonwealth Games | Gold |
| 2018 World Wrestling Championship | Silver |
| 2018 Commonwealth Games | Gold |
| 2019 World Wrestling Championship | Bronze |
| 2019 Asian Wrestling Championship | Gold |
| 2020, 2021 Asian Wrestling Championship | Silver |
| 2021 Tokyo Olympics | Bronze |
| 2022 Commonwealth Games | Gold |
Awards & Recognitions
- Arjuna Award 2015
- Padma Shri Award 2019
- Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award 2019
- FICCI India Sports Award 2020
Bajrang Punia is a player who has a firm grip on his game and has been performing phenomenally well since the start of his career. His determination and dedication to the game have won him multiple awards and recognitions. Despite coming from a rural background and having very few resources at his disposal, Punia is a living example of the saying, “Where there is a will, there is a way.”
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