Sport stalwarts extend support, threaten to return honours
The sports stalwarts from Punjab and Haryana’s Vijender Singh have extended support to the farmers from Punjab, pledging to return the honours received from the central government.
The 2008 Olympics bronze-winning boxer Vijender Singh, 1980 Moscow Olympics hockey gold medallist Gurmail Singh, the victorious 1982 Asian Games women’s hockey team skipper Rajbir Kaur, wrestling great Kartar Singh, the 1972 Munich Olympics hockey bronze medallist Ajit Singh and Asian Games boxing medallist Jaipal Singh joined the farmers’ protest at Delhi’s Singhu border on Sunday.
The sports stalwarts from Punjab and Haryana’s Vijender Singh have extended support to the farmers from Punjab, pledging to return the honours received from the central government if it didn’t accept the demands of the farmers for a repeal of three central laws aimed at liberalising trade in agriculture.
For over 10 days, farmers have been on a sit-in protest demanding that the government repeal the three farm laws enacted in September. Protests on the highways have blocked entry to the capital at the Singhu border (from Sonepat) and Tikri border (from Bhadurgarh).
The recent reforms in the antiquated farm sector allow businesses to freely trade farm produce outside the so-called government-controlled mandi system, permit private traders to stockpile large quantities of essential commodities for future sales and lay down new rules for contract farming.
Sharing a stage with sportspersons from Punjab at the protest site, Vijender Singh, the first Indian boxer to win an Olympic medal, said he would return his Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India’s highest sports honour, if the government did not accept the demands of the farmers.
“I owe a lot to Punjab. I spent maximum time during my boxing career at the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala. Now it’s my time to repay to the state. I have decided to return my Khel Ratna, this is the least I can do in return for what Punjab has given to me,” Vijender Singh said.
He received the Khel Ratna in 2009.
The move to return government sporting honours was initiated by Kartar Singh, Arjuna awardees Rajbir Kaur and basketball player Sajjan Singh.
