India’s cricket board defended its World-Cup-winning captain Rohit Sharma on Monday after feedback about his lack of health from a spokesperson for the Congress, the nation’s predominant opposition occasion.
Sharma, who turns 38 subsequent month, is at the moment main the Indian cricket crew within the ongoing Champions Trophy, and was criticised for his weight by Shama Mohamed, a spokesperson for the Congress, saying he was “fats for a sportsperson”.
“Have to drop a few pounds, And naturally probably the most unimpressive captain India has ever had!” Mohamed stated in a now-deleted submit on X late on Sunday night time.
The Congress stated her submit didn’t replicate the occasion’s place and that Mohamed had been requested to delete her submit.
Rohit Sharma additionally discovered assist from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Occasion, as nicely the Board of Management for Cricket in India, which stated such feedback may have an adversarial impact on the crew.
“It is vitally unlucky that these derogatory, demoralising feedback are being made when the crew is within the essential stage of a worldwide event,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia informed Reuters on a cellphone name when requested for a response on Mohamed’s feedback.
Reuters couldn’t instantly attain Sharma or his spokesperson for feedback.
Mohamed defended her remark, saying her submit was a generic touch upon the health of a sportsperson and didn’t quantity to body-shaming.
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“I felt he’s obese and tweeted about it. I’ve been attacked for no motive,” she informed information company ANI, during which Reuters has a minority stake.
Rohit Sharma retired from Twenty20 worldwide cricket minutes after main the crew to their World Cup triumph final 12 months.
Cricketers in India take pleasure in demi-god standing, incomes tens of millions in endorsements and propelling a multi-billion greenback media and sports activities business.
After the Twenty20 World Cup final 12 months, Rohit Sharma and the remainder of the crew had been feted by tens of millions of cricket-crazy Indian followers, who thronged the streets of Mumbai because the crew paraded the trophy in an open-topped bus.