Brij Bhushan Singh unhappy with women wrestlers despite 6 Asian Games 2026 medals
Former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said he had expected at least 8 wrestling medals at the Asian Games 2026, but India won six.
Former BJP MP and former Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has expressed displeasure over the performance of Indian wrestlers at the Asian Games 2026. He did not appear happy with the women wrestlers in particular. He said he had expected at least 8 medals, but the women wrestlers did not perform well.
Singh said, "Look, our estimate for wrestling this time turned out to be wrong. The girls did not perform as well as they should have." According to him, there should have been 8 medals in all, including 3 golds, silvers and bronzes, but only 6 came.
Even so, he acknowledged that this is a good performance for wrestling since 1966. He said the medal count is the same as at the Asian Games 2023, but the number of gold medals is higher this time.
Singh further said that work now needs to be done on wrestling, because something or other has been happening in the sport for the past two to three years. This affected the performance of good wrestlers. He said that this time there is a balance between the government, the sports federation and the athletes. He said he would try to ensure that the same 6 medals won here are won at the Olympics too.
Asked about his political future, Singh made clear that he will not contest the 2027 Assembly election. On the next Lok Sabha election, he said he would decide in the coming time. He said in plain words that he cannot make any statement on contesting the Lok Sabha election right now.
In 2023, well-known women wrestlers had levelled sexual harassment allegations against Singh. The Delhi High Court discharged him of these charges on 3 August 2026.
India won a total of 6 medals at the Asian Games 2026, men and women wrestlers combined. Aman Sehrawat won gold in the 57 kg freestyle. Sujeet Kalkal won gold in the men's 65 kg freestyle. Nitesh Siwach won silver in the 97 kg Greco-Roman category.
Among the women, Antim Panghal won silver in the 53 kg freestyle. Deepak Punia won a bronze medal. In the 87 kg Greco-Roman category, Sunil Kumar had to settle for bronze.
