Sachin Tendulkar urges govt to support Sarita Devi

MUMBAI: Veteran boxer Sarita Devi, who is currently serving a provisional suspension, has found support from batting lengend Sachin Tendulkar who has written a letter to the Sports Minister urging him to support her and ensure that her career is not terminated prematurely.

In a letter to Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, dated November 15, the iconic batsman said he is disconcerted by the reports that Devi faces a potential ban threatening her career.

"I would urge you to kindly look into this issue urgently and ensure that she is given competent support so that her career is not threatened and ends in a premature manner," Tendulkar wrote.

Devi lost in the semifinals of the women's lightweight (60kg) competition at Incheon, South Korea, in September, and tried to give her medal to her opponent at the presentation ceremony as a protest.

Devi, upset with the controversial decision, refused to bend down to let the medal be placed over her neck. She then took the medal and slipped it onto the neck of Park Ji-Na, who had been declared the winner of their semifinal bout.

The South Korean boxer, an eventual silver medalist, tried to give the bronze medal back to Devi, then left it on the podium.

Tendulkar said being a sportsman he could relate to Devi's emotional turmoil.

"As a fellow sportsperson, I can relate to the emotional turmoil which Ms. Devi must have undergone leading to the unfortunate outburst. Subsequently, she has regretted and deserves another chance to continue her pursuits," the 41-year old wrote.

Tendulkar said the Manipuri boxer should be allowed to compete at the highest level since she had already apologised for her behaviour.

"As you may be aware, she has already apologised for her unsportsmanlike behaviour. As a country, we should make every effort to ensure that Ms. Devi is pardoned and allowed to pursue her boxing skills at the highest level," he said.