Indian Athletes Face Backlash for Promoting Peace Amid Tensions with Pakistan

Athletes Advocating Peace Amidst Tensions

During the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan, several Indian sports icons advocating for peace have faced significant backlash from the public. The latest to encounter this criticism is Sift Kaur Samra, an accomplished rifle shooter and the reigning gold medalist in the 50m three positions event at the Hangzhou Asian Games.

Sift's recent Instagram post, which read 'No war in Punjab #PEACEFORPunjab,' sparked outrage among many Indians on social media, who perceived it as an alignment with the adversary.

One user expressed their frustration on X, stating, 'I can't comprehend how anyone can justify this. If she had posted against war in India, it would have been fine! But she only mentioned Punjab, ignoring the troubles in Jammu, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Haryana. I can't support this mindset during the #IndiaPakistanWar.'

Despite the backlash, Sift remained unfazed, describing the situation as trivial and not affecting her. 'It doesn't matter to me. People have too much free time and react impulsively. I haven't deleted the post because I stand by my words,' she told The Tribune from her home in Faridkot.

She also welcomed the announcement of peace, stating, 'This is wonderful news as many families were suffering and under immense stress. Now, that should come to an end.'

Previously, former Indian cricketer Ambati Rayudu faced similar criticism for his post against escalating conflict. His statement on X, 'An eye for an eye makes the world blind,' ignited a heated debate online. One user remarked, 'The best time to delete this tweet is now. India didn’t blink first, but after the Pahalgam incident, it can’t remain silent.'

Rayudu later clarified that his message was not a sign of weakness, emphasizing, 'This isn’t a call for weakness, but a reminder of wisdom. Justice must be upheld, but we must not lose sight of our humanity. We can love our nation fiercely while still embracing compassion.'

Even two-time Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra was not exempt from public scrutiny. His only misstep was responding to a journalist's inquiry about inviting Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem to the Neeraj Chopra Classic in Bengaluru on May 24.

Following the tragic Pahalgam attack that claimed 26 Indian lives, Chopra faced severe backlash, with even his family being targeted. 'It pains me to explain myself to those attacking me and my family without cause. We are ordinary people; please don’t portray us otherwise. There are many false narratives created by certain media sections about me, but my silence doesn’t validate them,' Chopra stated.

'I also struggle to understand how opinions can shift so drastically. When my mother made an innocent comment a year ago, she received widespread praise. Now, those same individuals have not hesitated to criticize her,' he added.