Disturbed at visuals of wrestlers being manhandled: 1983 champions speak out

By Nitin Kumar Srivastava: The champions of the 1983 Cricket World Cup including Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar and Roger Binny have spoken out on the protest by India's top wrestlers against Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The champions said they were disturbed by the images of the Delhi Police manhandling the protesting wrestlers when they were marching towards the new Parliament building on May 28.

In a statement released on Friday, the 1983 World champions said, "We are distressed and disturbed at the unseemly visuals of our champion wrestlers being manhandled." The wrestlers are protesting against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has been accused of sexually harassing several women wrestlers, including a minor.

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The cricket champions also asked the protesting wrestlers not to "take any hasty decision" when it comes to their plan of submerging their medals in the Ganga river.

Two days after their protest site at Jantar Mantar was cleared by the police and they were detained while they were marching towards the new Parliament building, the grapplers, including Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia went to Haridwar's Har Ki Pauri on May 30, to immerse their medals in the Ganga river as part of their protest. They left after giving an ultimatum to the Centre and said they would return in five days if no action is taken against Brij Bhushan Singh.

The 1983 champions said they were concerned that the wrestlers were thinking of "dumping their hard-earned medals into river Ganga". "Those medals have involved years of effort, sacrifice, determination, and grit and are not only their own but the nation's pride and joy," they added. The champions called for the law of the land to prevail and said they "fervently hope" the grievances of the wrestlers are heard and resolved quickly.

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