Neeraj Chopra is hurt by seeing Indian wrestlers condition, ask for justice
Indian wrestlers, such as Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, and Sakshi Malik, have resumed their protest against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the wrestling federation’s chief.
This comes three months after their initial sit-in protest ended following the formation of an oversight committee to investigate sexual harassment allegations against Singh.
The wrestlers returned to Jantar Mantar on Sunday. They requested a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the serious allegations against Singh, a parliament member of the BJP.
As wrestlers call for action against Singh, Neeraj Chopra, India’s only Olympic track-and-field gold medalist, expressed his support.
He took to his official Twitter account and said it is painful to see his fellow athletes taking to the streets to demand justice. Chopra urged that swift action should be taken.
“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,” Chopra wrote.
“What is occurring should never happen. This is a sensitive matter that must be handled impartially and transparently. The relevant authorities must act quickly to guarantee that justice is served.”
Earlier, fellow wrestler Ravi Dahiya turned to Twitter to support his teammates. “An army man and a sportsperson are the pride of every nation, and respecting them is the nation’s duty,” Ravi wrote.
Indian World cup winning captain Kapil Dev shared an Instagram story in support of protesting Indian wrestlers. “will they ever get justice?” the Captain wrote in his Instagram story, with a picture from the press conference.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has yet to complete its investigation into the claims levelled against the WFI chief, and the results of the government-appointed monitoring body have not yet been made public.
Frustrated with the three-month wait, the irate wrestlers returned to Jantar Mantar on April 23 to restart their agitation. They also petitioned the Supreme Court for the arrest of the WFI president.
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