Vinesh Phogat on Tuesday decided to return her Khel Ratna and Arjuna award to the Prime Minister, saying such honours have become meaningless when wrestlers are struggling badly for justice, aggravating the crisis that has gripped the sport.
Phogat, the two-time World Championship medal winner, announced her decision in her letter penned for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In the letter posted on X, Phogat said their lives are not like those “fancy government advertisements” that talk about women empowerment and upliftment.
“The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna and Arjuna awards don't have any meaning in my life now. Every woman in this country wants to lead a dignified life. So PM sir I want to return my Dhyan Chand and Arjun award to you so that these awards don't become a burden on us in our endeavour to lead a dignified life,” she wrote in her letter.
