Janardan Gyanoba Navale created history by becoming the first Indian cricketer to face the ball in a Test match against England at the Lord’s Cricket Ground, considered the “Mecca” of cricket. He played 65 first-class matches and two Tests. Cricket in the 1950s without a job or much savings. He died in poverty in Pune on 7 September 1979, with some reports claiming that he was seen begging on the Mumbai-Pune highway.
Sadly he is not the only one. Before Kerry Packer revolutionized cricket, most players faced financial insecurity after retirement. The influence of the Packers increased the income of the players. Even today’s elite want their children to become professional cricketers to earn name and fame. It is a different matter that status and money remain elusive except in a few sports. If this had not happened, national and international level wrestlers would not have had to sit on dharna for two days at Jantar Mantar, the heart of Delhi. A statement by Olympian Vinesh Phogat went viral on Wednesday evening. They alleged that apart from other kinds of wrongdoings, the Wrestling Federation of India president has been sexually harassing women wrestlers and coaches. Phogat is not an ordinary woman. It was he who restored the country’s pride by winning three consecutive gold medals in the Commonwealth Games. Two other medal winners Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia also supported him. The accused is Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. He was elected to the Lok Sabha on a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket. He has won the election six times. These allegations against the BJP MP were bound to create a stir and they did. At the same time, it was learned that he was imprisoned under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act in the 1990s. He has even publicly slapped a wrestler on the stage. The MP wasted no time in dismissing Phogat’s allegations. He said, ‘I will talk to the players.’ I’m ready to answer any questions. There was no sexual harassment. If even a single athlete comes forward and proves it, then I am ready to be hanged. Singh later said that he was not at anyone’s mercy. If I open my mouth, a tsunami will erupt. On the other hand, there was a tsunami of support for the wrestlers.
Meanwhile, representatives of the government, led by Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, worked tirelessly to find a solution. Thakur held marathon sessions with officials, players and concerned citizens on several occasions. In the end, the wrestlers agreed to the proposal to form an inspection committee. This committee will present its report in four weeks after examining all the complaints of economic and administrative anomalies as well as physical abuse. This committee will also handle the administration of the Wrestling Federation during this period. Singh will not be allowed to intervene. The Indian Olympic Association has also taken note of the situation. The uproar subsided for a while, but the situation remains grim. The Paris Olympics are only a year and a half away. Our wrestlers are potential medal winners in this event. Wrestlers have won seven Olympic medals for their country. Wrestling has won the second highest number of Olympic medals in our country’s 75-year history after hockey. Needless to say that every second is important for any international level player. How will this loss be compensated? How can India become a sporting superpower under these circumstances? The sports world received disappointing news earlier this year. On New Year’s Day, police registered a case of sexual harassment and intimidation against Haryana Sports Minister and former Indian hockey captain Sandeep Singh following a complaint from a junior coach. Later he resigned. The incident highlights that sports personalities, like politicians and bureaucrats, are also capable of such exploitation.
You may recall that Olympian weightlifter Karnam Malleswari had expressed similar concerns. As a result coach Ramesh Malhotra was suspended, and his name was also removed from the proposed list for the Dronacharya Award. I want to draw your attention to another disappointing fact. Politicians head about half of the country’s 56 recognized sports federations, although they can’t be blamed for everything. Sandeep Singh and Ramesh Malhotra are included in the list. Unfortunately, some people go even further. Two-time Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar is currently behind bars on charges of murder. Navjot Singh Sidhu, cricketer, politician, comic star, and almost everything else is currently serving a sentence for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
If the government and society cannot protect the interests of sportspersons, it is terrible, but if star sportspersons misuse their fame, it is an outrage.
Shashi Shekhar is the editor-in-chiefIndia. views are personal,
catch all business News, market news, breaking news events and breaking news Update on Live Mint. download mint news app To get daily market updates.