India's 1983 WC winning squad releases statement in support of wrestlers' protest

Kapil Dev told PTI that "the whole of 1983 team stands by the statement we have issued" for Wrestlers.

Members of the 1983 World Cup winning squad have released a statement while supporting the wrestlers protesting in Delhi against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, against whom the wrestlers have leveled accusations of sexual abuse and exploitation.

In a statement, the squad members also said they are "most concerned" that athletes might be "dumping" their medals in the River Ganga as part of their ongoing protest against the non-action.

Images of Vinesh Phogat and other wrestlers being carried away from their protest in the heart of Delhi surfaced on Sunday. When the wrestlers broke through security and began to march towards the new parliament building, which was being opened by India's prime minister at the time, Delhi Police intervened.

The wrestlers' protest has been led since January by Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia, the last two of whom are Olympic medalists. Police officers soon evacuated the protest location, which was close to the parliament building, after the demonstrators were shoved into buses and hauled away.

They claim that Singh has sexually abused and exploited female wrestlers over the past decade. That came after Delhi Police decided to look into the allegations against Singh a week after the initial complaint was made, and only after the wrestlers requested action from the Supreme Court. The wrestlers' main goal, though, has been to depose Singh and bring attention to the accusations leveled against him.

‘Concerned they are thinking of dumping Olympic medals in the river’- Members of 1983 World Cup squad

Members of India's 1983 World Cup-winning cricket team are "distressed and disturbed" at leading Indian wrestlers being "manhandled" by security personnel in the national capital of Delhi earlier this week.

"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 the river Ganga. 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,” a statement released to PTI on Friday by members of the squad said.

Kapil Dev, the captain of that side, told PTI that "the whole of 1983 team stands by the statement we have issued".

Apart from Kapil, the 13 surviving members of that squad include Sunil Gavaskar, one of the icons of the game, as well as Ravi Shastri, Mohinder Amarnath, Krishnamachari Srikkanth and Roger Binny, the current BCCI president who was also the highest wicket-taker in the tournament.