New Delhi (PTI): Concerned that the protesting wrestlers can take the extreme step of immersing their medals into holy river Ganga, members of the 1983 World Cup winning cricket team on Friday urged the elite athletes not to take a hasty decision and hoped their grievances will be heard and resolved.
Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, who have been demanding the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Birj Bhushan Sharan Singh for alleged sexual exploitation of women wrestlers, took their protest to Haridwar on May 30 but did not carry out the threat of immersing their medals into Ganga.
On May 28, the Delhi Police had detained the wrestlers for violation of law and order when they marched towards the new Parliament building without permission. The Police also cleared the protest site and made it clear that the wrestlers will not be allowed back at Jantar Mantar.
The police action against the wrestlers had invited criticism from different quarters.
"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.
"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 read further.
Under legendary skipper Kapil Dev, the Indian cricket team had humbled the mighty Clive Lloyd led-West Indies to win the country's first World Cup trophy.
Sunil Gavaskar, Mohinder Amarnath, K Srikanth, Syed Kirmani, Yashpal Sharma, Madan Lal, Balwinder Singh Sandhu, Sandeep Patil, Kirti Azad and Roger Binny had featured in the memorable final, played at the Lord's on June 25, 1983 .
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Baramati (PTI): Industrialist Gautam Adani inaugurated the Sharadchandra Pawar Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence at Baramati in Maharashtra's Pune district on Sunday.
The centre of excellence, funded by the Adani Group chairman, has been established under Vidya Pratishthan, the educational institute governed by the Pawar family.
NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Baramati MP Supriya Sule, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, his wife and Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra Pawar and other members of the extended Pawar family were present on the occasion.
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NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar and Yugendra Pawar, who is the treasurer of Vidya Pratisthan, were present.
Adani had visited Baramati, the home turf of the Pawar family, in 2022 to attend the inauguration of the Science and Innovation Activity Centre in the town, about 110 km from Pune. The relationship between Pawar and Adani goes back nearly two decades.
#WATCH | Baramati, Maharashtra | Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani and Maharashtra DY CM Ajit Pawar light a lamp at the inauguration event of Sharad Pawar Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence.
— ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2025
(Source: Adani Group) pic.twitter.com/m4VP1aByvw
