#MeToo Movement: Lankan cricketer Lasith Malinga accused of sexual harassment
NEW DELHI: The #MeToo movement seems to have entered the cricketing arena too with prominent singer Chinmayi Sripaada posting a tweet on behalf of an anonymous woman, claiming that Sri Lankan cricketer Lasith Malinga sexually assaulted the woman during an IPL season in a Mumbai hotel.
Sripaada shared a post on Twitter where she put up the anonymous woman's post, naming, 'Cricketer Lasith Malinga', since the alleged victim did not name the cricketer in her statement. "I'd like to remain anonymous.
A few years back when I was in Mumbai, I was looking for my friend in the hotel we were staying in. I bumped into a very famous Sri Lankan cricketer during the IPL season who said my friend was in his room. I go in and she's not. He then pushed me in the bed and proceeded to climb onto my face." "Mind you I'm tall and about same body weight & I couldn't fight him back.
I closed my eyes and mouth but he used my face. Then the hotel staff knocked on the door to replenish the bar which he went to open the door.
I quickly ran into the washroom, washed my face and left as soon as the hotel staff left.
I was humiliated. I knew people would say that you knowingly went to his room, he's famous, you wanted it or worse you deserve it," the alleged tweet read.
Lankan seamer Malinga has taken 306 wickets in 207 ODIs and 90 wickets in 68 T20Is played so far. Malinga also claimed 101 wickets in 30 Tests.
According to Sripaada, the alleged incident took place during an IPL season. Malinga has played for Mumbai Indians in all the 10 seasons of the IPL.
He has 154 wickets to his name from 110 matches in the cash-rich league which also makes him the highest wicket-taker in the history of the IPL.
Courtesy: timesofindia
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I am back home: All England missed, Sindhu lands back in Bengaluru from Dubai
Bengaluru (PTI): Two-time Olympic medal-winning Indian badminton star P V Sindhu, who was stranded in Dubai due to closure of airspace in the Gulf region, has returned to the country after pulling out of the All England Championships in Birmingham.
Sindhu posted on X to announce that she is back in the city.
"Back home in Bangalore and safe. The last few days have been intense and uncertain, but I'm truly grateful to be back to my house," she posted.
"A heartfelt thank you to the incredible ground teams, Dubai authorities, airport staff, immigration, and every single person who stepped up and took such good care of us during a very difficult time. The empathy and professionalism meant more than words can say.
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"For now, it's time to rest, reset, and figure out the next steps," she added.
The former world champion was on her way to Birmingham via Dubai, when she was stranded after the flight operations were suspended in the Gulf region following the US and Israeli bombing of Iran.
Iran subsequently retaliated, hitting Dubai as well.
"Moments like these remind you how fragile normal life really is," she had posted on February 28 while revealing some details of her ordeal, which included an explosion near her place of stay.
She had described the experience as "extremely tense and scary moment" for her and her team, including Indonesian coach Irwansyah Adi Pratama.
