The members of the 1983 World Cup-winning cricket team on Friday said that they are distressed and disturbed at the unseemly visuals of “our champion wrestlers being manhandled.”
They also advised the athletes to not take any impulsive decisions, hoping that their concerns would be acknowledged and resolved.
“We are distressed and disturbed at the unseemly visuals of our champion wrestlers being manhandled. We are also most concerned that they are thinking of dumping their hard earned medals into river Ganga,” a statement released to PTI by the 1983 World Cup wining team read.
They went on to say: “Those medals have involved years of effort, sacrifice, determination, and grit and are not only their own but the nation’s pride and joy. We urge them not to take any hasty decision in this matter and also fervently hope that their grievances are heard and resolved quickly. Let the law of the land prevail.”
The statement came after India’s world-class wrestlers had planned to throw away their medals into the Ganga River on Tuesday as part of an ongoing protest against sexual harassment, but were stopped by farmer leaders on the condition of a five-day deadline.
The wrestlers have demanded the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Birj Bhushan Sharan Singh for sexual abuse against women wrestlers.
