New Delhi: Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra on Friday extended his support to the protesting wrestlers and called for “quick action” from the authorities in order to ensure that justice is served.
Taking to his official Twitter account, Chopra said: “It hurts me to see our athletes on the streets demanding justice. They have worked hard to represent our great nation and make us proud. As a nation, we are responsible for safeguarding the integrity and dignity of every individual, athlete or not.”
“What’s happening should never happen. This is a sensitive issue, and must be dealt with in an impartial and transparent manner. Pertaining authorities must take quick action in order to ensure that justice is served,” he added.
— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) April 28, 2023
On Thursday, India’s World Cup-winning former captain Kapil Dev also posted a story on Instagram about the demonstrations by wrestlers along with a picture of Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia with the message “Will they ever get justice?”
Earlier, fellow wrestler Ravi Dahiya also took to his Twitter account to stand by his colleagues. “An army man and a sportsperson is the pride of every nation, and to respect them is the nation’s duty,” Ravi wrote.
#JaiHind 🇮🇳🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/L0JQyZaJyF
— Ravi Kumar Dahiya (@ravidahiya60) April 27, 2023
On Wednesday. Abhinav Bindra supported the wrestlers in their protest with a poignant tweet.
“As athletes, we train hard every day to represent our country on the international stage. It is deeply concerning to see our athletes finding it necessary to protest on the streets regarding the allegations of harassment in the Indian wrestling administration,” Bindra tweeted.
As athletes, we train hard every day to represent our country on the international stage. It is deeply concerning to see our athletes finding it necessary to protest on the streets regarding the allegations of harassment in the Indian wrestling administration. My heart goes out…
— Abhinav A. Bindra OLY (@Abhinav_Bindra) April 26, 2023
“My heart goes out to all those who have been affected. We must ensure that this issue is handled properly, with the athletes’ concerns heard and addressed fairly and independently. This incident highlights the crucial need for a proper safeguarding mechanism that can prevent harassment and ensure justice for those affected. We must work towards creating a safe and secure environment for all athletes to thrive in,” Bindra added.
Why are the wrestlers protesting?
Indian wrestlers have been protesting at Jantar Mantar in the national capital against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment.
Top Indian grapplers such as Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and many other wrestlers are involved in the protest against the WFI chief.
Having waited for three months, star wrestlers like Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia restarted their protest against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Sunday and said that they took the step after alleging that no action has been taken in the matter and said that the FIR has not been registered against the WFI chief.
Following the protest, in January, the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the formation of an ‘oversight committee’ to probe allegations levelled against the WFI and Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and other coaches. The committee was given the task of submitting a report on the issue to the Ministry.