Exclusive: BCCI Breaks Silence On Politician's "Rohit Sharma Is Fat" Post
NDTV
In an exclusive chat with NDTV, the BCCI slammed Congress leader for fat-shaming Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma, that too in the middle of the ICC Champions Trophy.
Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma found himself embroiled in an unnecessary debate on Monday as Congress leader Shama Mohamed fat-shamed him on social media. The politician's remarks triggered a huge controversy, drawing reactions from both cricketing and political spectrums of the country. Rohit Sharma, who remains one of the most decorated cricketers in the modern game, was targeted by the national spokesperson of Indian National Congress, who stressed that the iconic cricketer 'needs to lose weight'. “The team is in the middle of a crucial tournament. It may have demoralising effect on the team and players”: BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia to NDTV on Congress leader Shama Mohamed fat-shaming Rohit Sharma #WATCH | On her comment on Indian Cricket team captain Rohit Sharma, Congress leader Shama Mohammed says, "It was a generic tweet about the fitness of a sportsperson. It was not body-shaming. I always believed a sportsperson should be fit, and I felt he was a bit overweight, so I… pic.twitter.com/OBiLk84Mjh
As the remark snow-balled into a big controversy, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia called the remarks 'unfortunate', saying making such comments in the middle of an ICC event could have demoralising effect on the morale of a cricketer.
"Very unfortunate for a responsible person to pass such a trivial comment when the team is in the middle of such a crucial ICC tournament. It may have demoralising effect on an individual or the team. All the players are performing to their highest potential and results are visible. I hope individuals will desist from making such derogatory statements for personal publicity sake," BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia told NDTV in an exclusive chat.
Shama had written in her now deleted post on X (formerly Twitter): "@ImRo45 is fat for a sportsman! Need to lose weight! And, of course, the most unimpressive captain India has ever had."
