'Wrestlers should get justice': Ex-India cricketer voices support for protesting wrestlers

India's medal-winning wrestlers, Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Vinesh Phogat, had withheld their plans to immerse their Olympic and world championship medals in the holy river Ganga. The decision came after an earlier two-hour protest this week at Haridwar, where the farm leaders convinced the weeping wrestlers not to take the extreme decision.

The wrestlers moved to Haridwar after their protest site at Jantar Mantar was cleared and blocked by the police. They have been holding a dharna at Jantar Mantar since April 23, 2023 to call for the arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the head of the Wrestling Federation of India and a BJP member who is accused of harassing female wrestlers. The chief of WFI  has denied all the accusations of sexually harassing women athletes. 

While Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia both won bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympics, Vinesh Phogat won a medal at the world championship. The Indian cricket, 1983 World Cup winning team has shown support for the medalists in the wrestlers protest. 

What did Kriti Azad say about the wrestlers protest? 

However, former Indian cricketer, Kirti Azad, the famous right-hand batsman, and off-spinner, has come to the support of the wrestlers, stating:

"The wrestlers have protested peacefully, we've been perturbed, the 83 team, the way in which they were dragged and the manner in which they were treated by the police the other day. They were manhandled on the 28th of May. We are concerned, we have won the first World Cup medal for the country in 1983 and we feel that the matter should be resolved as soon as possible. It took a month till the Supreme Court had to intervene and a FIR was lodged. So in connection to that, we want the wrestlers to get justice."

In this statement, Kirti Azad voices his concern and support for the wrestlers who have been protesting peacefully. He refers to an incident on May 28th where members of the 1983 Indian cricket team were mistreated by the police. Azad, being a former cricketer himself and a part of the 1983 team that won the World Cup, feels a personal relation to the matter.

Azad highlights the significance of the 1983 World Cup victory, as it was the first time India had achieved such an accomplishment. He believes that the wrestlers, who have also got pridefulness in the country through their sporting accomplishments, deserve justice for the treatment they tolerated.

The fact that the Supreme Court got involved and that a First Information Report (FIR) was filed implies that the authorities were slow to respond to the wrestlers' case. Azad stresses the urgency of a speedy settlement, thus underscoring the idea that justice delayed is justice denied.

Overall, Azad's statement expresses his solidarity with the wrestlers and his frustration at the handling of their situation. He calls for a fair and suitable resolution to ensure that those who represented the country and brought glory through their sports achievements are treated with dignity and respect.