As protesters gave in to farmer leaders' requests to not immerse their medals in the Ganga river, a video of wrestler Sakshi Mallik packing her medals into a bag went viral on the internet. Wrestlers protesting against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Singh announced on Tuesday that they will throw their medals into the Ganga River in Haridwar, followed by an indefinite hunger strike at India Gate. The grapplers now are making their way from Ganga Ghat.
In a viral video, Sakshi can be seen packing her medals into a bag. Sakshi Malik, an Olympic bronze medalist, is the first Indian woman wrestler to win a medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016.
CRICKET LEGEND ANIL KUMBLE EXTENDS SOLIDARITY WITH WRESTLERS
Anil Kumble, a veteran cricketer, has expressed his solidarity with the protesting wrestlers. "Dismayed to hear about what transpired on the 28th of May with our wrestlers being manhandled. Anything can be resolved through proper dialogue. Hoping for a resolution at the earliest," his tweet read.
Earlier in the day, Sakshi congratulated CSK captain MS Dhoni on winning the IPL 2023 title. In a tweet, the grappler said: "Congratulations MS Dhoni ji and CSK. We are happy that at least some sportspersons are getting respect and love they deserve. For us, the fight for justice is still on".
GANGA SABHA OPPOSES GRAPPLERS' MOVE TO THROW MEDALS IN GANGA
The Ganga Sabha, led by President Nitin Gautam, will oppose the wrestlers' decision to throw medals into the Ganga River. "The Ganga is a sacred place and should not be turned into a political arena. Medals are not the bones of sports; sports are eternal. We welcome rituals and prayers, and we pray that God grants them wisdom. We will prevent the flow of medals into the river."