Sarita Devi row: Sachin Tendulkar urges Indians to back boxer, requests AIBA to be lenient
New Delhi: Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar urged Indians to support the suspended boxer Sarita Devi on Wednesday. The International Boxing Association (AIBA) had suspended the Indian boxer following her refusal to accept her medal during Asian Games 2014.
Sachin Tendulkar : We just want the entire nation to be behind Sarita Devi & move forward in the right direction pic.twitter.com/zG0NzPbYF0
— ANI (@ANI_news) November 26, 2014Discussion with Sports Min was how to move forward & request AIBA to be lenient on her(Sarita Devi): Sachin Tendulkar
— ANI (@ANI_news) November 26, 2014The Little Master had a meeting with India's Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to discuss Sarita Devi's possible ban which could be imposed on the boxer by AIBA for refusing to accept the bronze medal during the Incheon Asian Games medal ceremony.
Sarita Devi issue: Sachin Tendulkar arrives to meet Union Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in Delhi pic.twitter.com/Pl05aa7B8O
— ANI (@ANI_news) November 26, 2014Sachin Tendulkar, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, had earlier appealed against the life ban on her by the International Boxing Association.
Tendulkar also said that being a fellow sportsperson, he can understand how Sarita Devi must have felt.
Being a fellow sportsperson I fully understand what Sarita Devi must have felt,must have been a difficult moment for her : Sachin Tendulkar
— ANI (@ANI_news) November 26, 2014In a letter addressed to Sonowal, Tendulkar had urged him to support the boxer. "I would urge you to kindly look into this issue urgently and ensure that she is given competent support so that her career is not threatened and ends in a premature manner," Tendulkar had written.
Sarita Devi lost in the semifinals of the women's lightweight (60kg) competition at Incheon in September and in protest tried to give her bronze medal to her opponent from South Korea.
Sports Minister Sonowal had, on Tuesday, said that the government is more than keen to pursue Sarita Devi's matter with AIBA and get the ban overturned.
He, on Wednesday reiterated that Indian Government is supporting the Indian boxer.
We are with Sarita Devi, everyone has expressed their serious concern about the matter: Sarbananda Sonowal,Sports Min pic.twitter.com/4eJpohpYvc
— ANI (@ANI_news) November 26, 2014Read: Boxing India backing Sarita Devi
"We will be strongly pursuing Sarita Devi's matter internationally. I will be attending the meeting tomorrow, which will see the members of Boxing India, IOA and prominent sportspersons present there. We will try to get her ban lifted," said Sonowal on Tuesday on the sidelines of a function organised by United Nations Women, which aimed at raising awareness and gender equality.
"Sarita Devi should be allowed to play for the country," Sonowal said.
