‘Those medals just don’t belong to you’: from the wrestlers who protested the 1983 World Cup winning team

Members of the 1983 World Cup-winning cricket team on Friday said protesting wrestlers may take the extreme step of immersing their medals in the holy river Ganges. Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia staged their protest in Haridwar on May 30, demanding the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Biraj Bhushan Sharan Singh for alleged sexual harassment of women wrestlers, but no action taken . Threat to immerse the medal in the Ganges

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On 28 May, the Delhi Police detained wrestlers for violation of law and order when they marched towards the new Parliament House without permission. The police also evacuated the picket site and made it clear that the wrestlers would not be allowed to return to Jantar Mantar.

The police action against the wrestlers was criticized from various quarters. A statement issued by the 1983 World Cup-winning team to PTI said, “We are distressed and disturbed by the unsavory scenes of manhandling of our champion wrestlers.” ,

“Those medals involve years of effort, sacrifice, determination and grit and are not only their own but the country’s pride and joy. We urge them not to take any decision in haste in this matter and also hope that That their grievances will be heard and resolved expeditiously. Let the law of the land prevail,” the statement further read.

Under the legendary captain Kapil Dev, the Indian cricket team defeated the mighty Clive Lloyd-led West Indies to win the country’s first World Cup trophy. Sunil Gavaskar, Mohinder Amarnath, K Srikkanth, Syed Kirmani, Yashpal Sharma, Madan Lal, Balwinder Singh Sandhu, Sandeep Patil, Kirti Azad and Roger Binny featured in the memorable final played at Lord’s on June 25, 1983.