Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra has backed wrestlers protesting against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and called for authorities to take swift action to ensure justice is served.
The wrestlers, including Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, are demanding action against WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for alleged sexual harassment of women wrestlers. Chopra, who won gold in the javelin throw at the Tokyo Olympics, expressed his support on Twitter, saying that it was painful to see athletes on the streets seeking justice.
Chopra also emphasized the need to safeguard the integrity and dignity of every individual, athlete or not, and called for impartial and transparent handling of the issue. His tweet was retweeted by wrestler Vinesh Phogat.
Neeraj Chopra takes help:
Meanwhile, Indian Olympic Association President P.T. Usha criticized the wrestlers for seeking support from political parties. The IOA has set up a two-member Ad-hoc Committee to run the WFI office and conduct elections in 45 days.
Also, read: World Championships: Neeraj Chopra qualifies for final with a throw of 88.39m (Ld)
