'Are you so afraid of the system?': Vinesh Phogat questions top cricketers, other big athletes' silence

While India's top wrestlers have been protesting rigorously against the WFI management, they have received sparingly low support from the sporting fraternity.

Vinesh Phogat who is at the forefront of the protest against the WFI along with other wrestlers questioned top cricketers, big athletes and others who haven't spoken up on the matter.

Speaking at the Indian Express Idea Exchange, Vinesh questioned the silence of the nation's top cricketers. She added 'The entire country worships cricket but not even a single cricketer has spoken up, are you so afraid of the system?'

Citing the Black Lives Matter movement as an example, the World Championship medalist asked, 'During the BLM movement in the US, they showed their support. Don't we deserve even that much?'

She further said that the cricketers, badminton players and other athletes need to get out of the social media bubble and express real-world emotions. She asked the entire sporting fraternity to look beyond personal gains.

Former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev, Gold Olympic medallist Abhinav Bindra and Neeraj Chopra are among the very few names who have backed the wrestlers and questioned the authorities over the handling of the matter.

Ace wrestlers have been protesting at Jantar Mantar for the past 4 days, seeking an FIR against the ex-WFI chief Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, who they have accused of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation.