Ajay Thakur: You have to be brave and fight in a tough situation

The 33-year-old star recently played in the National Kabaddi Championship.

As India is undergoing a three-week-long lockdown period, Indian Kabaddi star Ajay Thakur has taken up a different role to help his nation. The Padma Shri awardee is fulfilling his duties as a police officer.

A renowned raider of the Pro Kabaddi League, the Himachal Pradesh born player holds the designation of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in his state Police department.

"When you are met with a tough situation, you have to be brave and fight back," Ajay Thakur said to the ProKabaddi.

"If I get scared of the situation and decide that I should take a leave of absence to ensure nothing happens to me, then what about the soldiers at the border? They are dealing with flying bullets every day and if they think that this is too dangerous, how would we function as a nation?"

Many kabaddi players have already come out on their social media handles to request the citizens to stay indoors and help the nation in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. They have also put out encouraging messages for their fans and country.

Ajay Thakur, who urged that people should remain indoors and follow the advisories sent out by the authorities to arrest the spread of COVID-19, cited some cases from his own experience to clarify the gravity of the situation.

He remarked, "What I have been observing at times, especially with the younger demographic, is that they are yet to grasp the seriousness of the situation on our hand. I see some people roaming the streets and then running for cover when they hear police sirens."

"In my opinion, these people are not only being irresponsible but are also putting their families and society as a whole at risk. We as a society need to come together at this moment and support each other, help each other to fight off the potential harm that this disease can cause. It is the need of the hour for us to support one another," He added.

The powerful Indian raider signed off in with a message of hope for all.

He said, "We can and will fight this off. All we need to do is listen to the authorities who are working day and night to salvage the situation, stay informed about what is happening, what to eat to maintain a healthy immune system and what precautions one needs to take. That is all."

He recently led his state in the 67th Senior National Kabaddi Championships. Himachal Pradesh lost 27-41 against Karnataka in the pre-quarterfinals of the tournament.