Tihar Jail authorities said on Saturday that the two-time Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar Interested prisoners have been allowed to provide fitness and wrestling coaching. This comes in the wake of the decline in Covid-19 cases in the national capital and inside the prison campus, he said.
The Tihar Jail administration said they had earlier planned to involve Kumar in sports activities, but had to put the plan on hold in view of the third wave. Kovid-19 in Delhi,
According to news agency DG (Prisons) said, “We have given permission to Sushil Kumar to give fitness and wrestling coaching to those inmates who are interested, 6-7 prisoners are getting coaching from him.” ANI report good.
“We had earlier decided to allow it but could not do so in view of the third wave of Covid. Now, with the situation returning to normal, regular activities are being restored in the jails. Hence, we are giving coaching classes to Sushil Kumar. Wrestling and physical fitness to other inmates who are interested,” said Director General (Delhi Jail) Sandeep Goel. PTI,
Jail officials said that since Kumar is a trained professional wrestler, his coaching classes on fitness and wrestling will benefit inmates who want to learn a new sport and also help them stay fit and healthy.
He said that this will keep the prisoners engaged and give them a sense of positivity that their energy is being channelized in the right direction through a proper channel. Officials said this would also help them focus in their daily routine.
In September 2021, before the third wave of COVID-19 hit the national capital, the Delhi Prisons Department had launched an initiative to provide professional training to inmates of Tihar Jail in various sports.
Under this initiative, sponsored by Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) as part of its CSR project, prisoners were being trained in six sports – Kho-Kho, Volleyball, Badminton, Basketball, Chess and Carrom.
Kumar was arrested along with co-accused Ajay Kumar in the Chhatrasal Stadium case from outer Delhi’s Mundka area on May 23 last year and is presently lodged in Tihar’s Central Jail No.
Wrestler Sagar Dhankhar and his two friends Sonu and Amit Kumar were allegedly assaulted by him and his associates on the intervening night of May 4 and 5 over a property dispute. Dhankhar, 23, later succumbed to his injuries.
In the first chargesheet filed by the police on August 2 last year, 13 accused, including main accused Sushil Kumar, were named.
(with inputs from agencies)
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