Protesting wrestlers, Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, and Bajrang Punia allege that they were denied entry by the Delhi Police despite having match tickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium where Delhi Capitals hosted Chennai Super Kings in an Indian Premier League fixture on Saturday.
The athletes donned special t-shirts with the message, 'I Support Wrestlers,' printed on it to raise awareness about their protest, which has been going on for close to a month against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhusan Sharan Singh.
What did the wrestlers say about the incident?
"We all had match tickets and we were going to watch the game. Delhi Police took our tickets first, then we were taken to an uncertain location," Malik told IANS.
दिल्ली पुलिस ने पहलवानों को आईपीएल मैच देखने से रोका. pic.twitter.com/gjLpbjYijY
— Mandeep Punia (@mandeeppunia1) May 20, 2023
"Police said that they would give us VIP treatment but tried to detain us. We then demanded our tickets and said we won`t watch the game now and returned," said another wrestler, who was present.
MORE: Wrestlers' protest: Take my medals back, says Olympian Bajrang Punia
Mohun Bagan fans denied entry at Eden Gardens by KKR management
Meanwhile, back in Kolkata, a section of Mohun Bagan fans alleged that they were not allowed to enter Eden Gardens to watch the home team Kolkata Knight Riders take on Lucknow Super Giants as they were wearing the Mariner's t-shirts and scarves.
They took out a procession from the Mohun Bagan tent at the Gostho Paul Sarani to Eden Gardens before the start of the match. Slogans supporting Bagan were raised as they tried to enter the stadium with valid tickets but were denied entry.
LSG wore a special kit in honour of Indian football giants Mohun Bagan in their final IPL 2023 league stage game against KKR, as the century-old club is co-owned by Sanjeev Goenka, the owners of the Lucknow franchise.
"It is (Mohun Bagan) not an institution, it's actually an emotion. Its legacy represents the city of Kolkata," LSG team owner Shashwat Goenka said.
"It is with this in mind, that we have decided that LSG will don the iconic colours of maroon and green in Saturday's match against KKR at Eden Gardens. It is our way of paying respect to the legacy of Mohun Bagan and to the legacy of our city."
Not a good act by KKR management #mohunbagan #ipl #lsg pic.twitter.com/FfIFqQe133
— Mohun Bagan Hub (@MohunBaganHub) May 20, 2023
However, the fans were allegedly not allowed inside the stadium wearing Mohun Bagan jerseys and were blocked at gates 9 and 13. After they changed their clothing while some wore it inside out, they were allowed to enter the stadium.
“Shameful behaviour from our own city-based franchise. We took out a procession from the Mohun Bagan tent up to Eden Gardens with flex, tifo, scarves and t-shirts supporting Bagan. Police authorities did not resist, but personnel appointed by KKR did stop us. Nothing related to Mohun Bagan was allowed. After much argument, we could not reach a reasonable outcome. So we had no option but to keep everything outside and then enter. After this, Mohun Bagan supporters will think twice before supporting KKR," wrote a fan on social media.
MORE: Make your IPL 2023 predictions and win prizes with Dafabet in Premier League Mania
