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  • Disturbed by visuals of wrestlers being manhandled: Members of 1983 World Cup team

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    Disturbed by visuals of wrestlers being manhandled: Members of 1983 World Cup team
    The cricket champions also urged the protesting wrestlers not to "take any hasty decision" over their intent to immerse their medals in the Ganga river.

    Digital Desk: The 1983
    Cricket World Cup champions, including Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, and Roger
    Binny, have spoken out in response to India's best wrestlers' protest against
    Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The champions
    claimed they were shocked by footage of the Delhi Police beating protesting
    wrestlers on 28 May as they marched towards the new Parliament building.

    The
    1983 World champions said in a statement released on Friday, "We are
    distressed and disturbed by the unseemly visuals of our champion wrestlers
    being manhandled." Wrestlers are protesting WFI President Brij Bhushan
    Sharan Singh, who has been accused of sexually abusing multiple female
    wrestlers, including a minor.

    The
    cricket champions also urged the protesting wrestlers not to "take any
    hasty decision" over their intent to immerse their medals in the Ganga
    river.



    The
    grapplers, including Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, and Bajrang Punia, went to
    Haridwar's Har Ki Pauri on 30 May to immerse their medals in the Ganga river as
    part of their protest two days after their protest site at Jantar Mantar was
    cleared by the police and they were detained while marching towards the new
    Parliament building. They left after issuing an ultimatum to the Centre,
    stating that if no action is taken against Brij Bhushan Singh, they will return
    in five days.

    The
    1983 champions expressed worry that the wrestlers were considering
    "dumping their hard-earned medals into the 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," they continued. The
    champions urged the rule of law to triumph and stated that they "fervently
    hope" the wrestlers' issues are heard and handled swiftly.