Bajrang to donate six months salary, calls for postponement of Tokyo Games

 Star wrestler Bajrang Punia on Monday decided to donate his six months salary towards fight against COVID-19 pandemic and called for postponement of Tokyo Olympics, saying mega event will lose sheen if it goes ahe in absence of nations who have alrey pulled out. 25-year-old Bajrang is one of India's medal contenders at Games, which are under doubt due to coronavirus, which has claimed more than 15000 lives and infected more than 3,00,000 people worldwide.

Bajrang, 2019 World Championship bronze medallist, works with Railways as an officer on special duty (OSD).

"I have decided to donate my six months salary," Bajrang tweeted and immediately earned praise from Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, who said it was a laudable effort.Talking to PTI, Bajrang said, "Before Olympics we have to fight Coronavirus. If situation does t improve, and continues for 2-3 months, it will be perfectly alright to postpone Olympics.""If it is held with Coronavirus continuing to wreak havoc, a lot of nations will t send ir athletes. Alrey Cana and Australia have said y won't send ir athletes. What's point n."So it is t just India's problem, it's a global issue, which needs to be tackled first," he ded.

Bajrang is training at an apartment in Sonepat while his coach Shako Bentinidis has left for Georgia. India's foreign coach for women wrestlers Andrew Cook has also left for US a few days ago. Indian Olympic Association (IOA) says it will decide country's participation in about four weeks' time. International Olympic Committee (IOC) is under tremendous pressure to postpone Games.

Meanwhile, Vinesh Phogat, ar Indian medal contender at Games, says she has been training hard and it does t matter what she feels about postponement of Games."I am at my home and training has been good so far. Whatever I say, does t matter," she said.