A group of Indian Olympic medal-winning wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, have raised their voices against Brij Bhushan Singh, the President of the Wrestling Federation of India and a BJP MP. Accusations of sexual exploitation have been leveled against Singh, leading the wrestlers to demand his arrest. In solidarity, the wrestlers have garnered support from India’s 1983 World Cup-winning cricket team players.
On May 28, the wrestlers marched towards the new Parliament House but were detained by the Delhi Police. However, they were later released, and the sit-in demonstration they had planned at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar was removed, with their tents removed. In response to these events, the wrestlers threw their hard-earned medals, including those won at international competitions and the Olympics, into the Ganges in Haridwar on May 30. However, farmer leader Naresh Tikait persuaded them to postpone this action.
The 1983 Indian cricket team, which famously won the World Cup, has expressed its support for the wrestlers. Renowned cricketers such as Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, and Madan Lal issued a joint statement appealing to the wrestlers not to discard their medals in the Ganges. They emphasized the wrestlers’ significant achievements and advised against making hasty decisions.
The statement from the 1983 cricket team expressed distress and concern over the mistreatment faced by the wrestlers. They acknowledged the wrestlers’ hard work, sacrifice, determination, and resilience in earning those medals. The team stressed that these medals are not only a reflection of the wrestlers’ achievements but also a source of pride for the entire nation. They urged the wrestlers to refrain from hasty actions and hoped their grievances would be addressed promptly through proper legal channels.
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This show of support from the 1983 World Cup-winning cricket team underscores the unity among India’s sporting fraternity. It highlights the shared values of respect, appreciation, and recognition for the effort and dedication athletes invest in bringing glory to the nation. The joint statement from these revered cricketers serves as a message of solidarity, urging the wrestlers to seek resolution through legal means and reaffirming the belief that justice will prevail.
It is expected that this collective voice of the wrestlers and the support from the 1983 cricket team will resonate and create a platform for the wrestlers’ grievances to be addressed. The sports community hopes for a fair resolution to the allegations and a continued focus on promoting a safe and respectful environment for athletes across all sporting disciplines in India.
