Vinesh Phogat questions silence of top cricketers, other athletes over wrestlers' protest
New Delhi: World Championship medalist Vinesh Phogat expressed her disappointment at the silence of top cricketers and other athletes over the ongoing Wrestlers’ protest against WFI chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment charges.
According to Indian Express, Vinesh on Wednesday spoke to them in an interview expressing her pain at the cricketers and other athletes being silent on the issue.
“The entire country worships cricket but not even a single cricketer has spoken up. We aren’t saying that you speak in our favour, but at least put up a neutral message and say there should be justice for whichever party. This is what pains me… Be it cricketers, badminton players, athletics, boxing…,” she said.
Bringing up the example of the ‘Black lives matter’ movement in the US where she saw all the athletes across the world including Indian athletes supported the movement to fight against racism and discrimination.
“It’s not like we don’t have big athletes in our country. There are cricketers… During the Black Lives Matter movement in the US, they showed their support. Don’t we deserve even that much,” she asked.
“You do come forward to congratulate us when we win something. Even the cricketers tweet when that happens. Abhi kya ho gaya? (What has happened now?) Are you so afraid of the system? Or maybe there’s something fishy going on there too? (Unke daal mein bhi kaala hai, yeh maan ke chale hum?),” she said.
The leading athletes should take the responsibility of cleaning up the system for the benefit of the next generations. the “entire system will collapse if all the athletes sit here in protest” and those running it “won’t be able to sleep peacefully,” the two-time World Championship medallist said.
“But if the big athletes remain silent, then what’s the point of anything at all? Every sports federation has a problem and many athletes are my friends as well. But there should be no pretensions. I go for their matches, they come for mine, we get a photo clicked together, congratulate each other upon winning a medal, put up nice messages like ‘onwards and upwards’… Athletes need to get out of the social media bubble and express real-world emotions. They should look beyond their personal gains and ask their conscience,” she added.
She said that the athletes should not congratulate them when they win a medal in the future if they don't have the courage to make themselves heard now.
The wrestlers have received little support from the sporting fraternity. Former India cricket captain Kapil Dev posted a picture of the three wrestlers on Tuesday with the caption; “Will they ever get justice?”
Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra and other Olympians Jwala Gutta and Shiva Keshavan have extended their support.
India’s top wrestlers have been protesting against Brij Bhushan, seeking FIR against him, accusing him of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Seven female wrestlers, including a minor, have filed separate police complaints against him.
The protesting wrestlers have moved the Supreme Court stating that the Delhi police was not registering an FIR. Supreme Court took up the case.
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PM plays football with boys, girls in Sikkim
Gangtok (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day tour of Sikkim, played football with some boys and girls here on Tuesday morning, and described the soccer session as "energising".
Modi shared on social media a few photographs in which he is seen playing soccer with youngsters.
"Nothing like playing some football with my young friends in Sikkim on a lovely Gangtok morning! Clearly, an energising football session with these youngsters!" the PM said on X.
Modi also took a photograph with the players, with the Lok Bhawan building seen in the background.
During the day, the PM will attend the closing ceremony of 50 years of Sikkim's statehood and launch projects worth Rs 4,000 crore.
