The 1983 winning team of the World Cup expressed their concern over the wrestler’s protest and urged the players to not take any extreme decision and avoid immersing their medals into the holy river Ganga.
Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, who have been at the forefront in the protest to arrest Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief for alleged sexual exploitation of women wrestlers, some of them were minor.
On May 28, the Delhi Police had forcefully detained the players for breach of law and order.
“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,” an official statement released to PTI by the 1983 World Cup victorious 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 mentioned.