From wrestling mat to political turf, Bajrang gears up for a different 'dangal'

NEW DELHI: Bajrang Punia had once stated that it didn't really matter who was supporting him because as long as his mind was trained to feel undefeated, nothing really could beat him.

If the unfazed manner in which he has moved from the wrestling mat to the political cauldron is any indication, this statement seems to have been the guiding principle of his life.

Bajrang, a Tokyo Olympics bronze-medallist and among the most decorated names in Indian wrestling, is now set to grapple on the political turf, having joined the Congress party a month before the assembly elections in Haryana amid talk that he would be among the contestants.

His name will be among the foremost in the annals of Indian wrestling heavyweights, whose career witnessed several highs on the mat but also turmoil off it. He was the first Indian to be ranked world no.1 in a freestyle weight category and also the first to win four world medals.

The 30-year-old Bajrang hasn't officially said that he is giving up the sport but the direction that his life is taking, it's quite clear that wrestling won't exactly figure among his life's priorities.

The wheels had been set in motion months back.

He had moved from pipping his rivals on the mat to taking on BJP strongman and then Wrestling Federation of India head Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a protest against alleged sexual harassment of women wrestlers that turned into an unprecedented movement.

He stood alongside Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and his wife Sangeeta Phogat as they agitated on the streets of Delhi demanding justice for those who had been allegedly harassed and intimidated by Sharan Singh.

It was peak defiance in Indian sports and it wasn't a surprise that Punia was at the forefront of it.

Son of a wrestler, Balwan Singh, Bajrang would often leave his house in the early hours to train without telling his family when he was just a kid. He eventually joined an akhada at the age of 14.

That rebellious streak turned him into an international star and helped him attain superstar status on the back of his achievements.

He then turned into an activist who sought changes in the system. It came quite naturally to him for he was always known to be the brave one on the mat.

So, he wasn't perturbed while talking about the allegedly dictatorial style of the then WFI President.

He didn't fear the consequences while questioning the way the National Anti-Doping Agency carried out its operations even if it meant a suspension for refusing to give his dope sample as he believed that NADA used expired kits to carry out the tests.

However, he timed his activism when he was largely done with his career.

By the time he took to the streets with fellow wrestlers Vinesh and Sakshi, Bajrang was already an Olympic medallist, a winner of four World Championship medals, two Asian Games, three Commonwealth Games and eight Asian Championship medals.

His detractors called him an opportunist and doubted if Bajrang could continue anymore in wrestling due to his political position.

But even if he could not, Bajrang has already proved that he was one of the finest athletes in the country with his consistent success at the international level.

He is now gearing up for a different 'dangal' where it's not his attacking moves but the support and votes that would determine his fate.

The journey began in January 2022 when he came to Jantar Mantar with a bunch of wrestlers to level allegations of sexual misconduct by Sharan Singh.

No one knew that the protest would turn into a mass movement as farmers, women's organisations, students, and gradually political personalities lent their support to the wrestlers.

The prolonged protest meant that Bajrang could not train much for the Paris Games and as was expected, he lost in the trials and missed out on a chance to better the colour of his Tokyo bronze medal.

A look at his social media handles reveals that he expressed his opinion on many issues including the long-drawn farmers' protest on Delhi and Haryana borders or flooding in his state or rape incidents in the country.

He was always ready to take a position. And as he embarks on a political journey, it could well be the factor that makes or breaks his career.