Don't take any step that would undermine sports: Anurag to wrestlers

NEW DELHI: Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Wednesday asked protesting wrestlers not to take any step that would undermine sports, a day after the grapplers threatened to immerse their medals in river Ganga at Haridwar.

Thakur also urged the wrestlers to be patient and trust the investigation into the allegations against the Wrestling Federation of India's former chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

"I urge the wrestlers to be patient till the outcome of the investigation. I also urge them not to take any step that would undermine sports," the minister said while replying to queries from reporters.

Thakur's remarks come a day after the country's top wrestlers, including Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, along with hundreds of their supporters, reached Har ki Pauri to immerse their medals in the river Ganga but were persuaded by Khap and farmer leaders not to do so.

The wrestlers are demanding the arrest of Singh who is accused of sexually harassing several women grapplers.