New Delhi, March 3 Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed’s distasteful comments on India skipper Rohit Sharma have caused an uproar on social media. Sports Minister Mansukh Madaviya labelled the comments as ‘shameful and pathetic. ' The Congress spokesperson, during the New Zealand Champions Trophy Group A clash on Sunday, took to X to blatantly call the Indian skipper ‘fat. ’
“Rohit Sharma is fat for a sportsman! Need to lose weight! And, of course, the most unimpressive Captain India has ever had,” Shama wrote in a post on X.
Shama's comments on Rohit triggered huge backlash from all quarters, and the issue snowballed into a big controversy, which led the Congress party to direct Shama to delete her social media post on Rohit.
The Sports minister shot back with a message of his own, calling for the political leaders to leave athletes alone. “Congress and TMC should leave sportspersons alone as they are fully capable of handling their professional lives.
“Remarks made by leaders from these parties, indulging in body shaming and questioning an athlete’s place in the team, are not only deeply shameful but also outright pathetic.
“Such comments undermine the hard work and sacrifices that our sportspersons make to represent the country on the global stage,” read the post on X.
So far in the ongoing tournament, Rohit remains the only top-order Indian batter who is yet to score a half-century, with Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, and Shreyas Iyer firing in top form. The 37-year-old has accumulated 76 runs across three innings at an average of 25.33 and a strike rate of 111.76 with a highest score of 68.
Riding on Varun Chakaravarthy's five-wicket haul, India defeated New Zealand by 44 runs and finished at the top of Group A. They will now face Australia in the first semifinal in Dubai on Tuesday. On the other hand, New Zealand will lock horns with South Africa in another semifinal in Lahore on Wednesday.
Former India cricketer Venkatesh Prasad also shared the Sports Ministers’ sentiments by calling Shama’s comments pathetic and called for respect to Rohit’s name after years of service for the country.
“Rohit has maintained great dignity as a captain, led us to a T-20 WC win 8 months back, and in the middle of an ICC tournament, body-shaming him is absolutely pathetic and uncalled for. Should have some respect for a person who has achieved through his skills and leadership for so many years,” read the post on X.
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