File image of Avinash Sable.© AFP
India's 3,000m steeplechase star Avinash Sable has lashed out at fans and users on social media who criticise and troll the athletes participating in the Paris Olympics 2024. Despite coming into the Olympics with high hopes of beating their Tokyo 2020 medal tally of seven, India have only managed to win five medals so far and look unlikely to meet that tally. Amidst the Games, several Indian athletes - such as archer Deepika Kumari and wrestler Antim Panghal - have suffered trolling on social media platforms like X. Avinash hit back at such fans.
"There are some people who are posting messages on social media against our athletes. I felt bad reading them," said Sable, speaking to Times of India.
"The top athletes from our country are here and they are lampooned about their performances. I saw athletes sitting next to me, reading those and going into depression. They are thinking how you can represent your country if you are ridiculed like this," said Sable, who finished 11th in the 3,000m steeplechase final at Paris 2024.
Some notable cases of trolling have come against the likes of Deepika Kumari and Antim Panghal. Deepika - playing her fourth Olympics - crashed out in the women's individual archery quarterfinals, whilst Panghal suffered a crushing 10-0 defeat in her Round of 16 bout, before making headlines as her sister had entered the Olympics village using her accreditation.
Sable further added, "There is no enjoyment for athletes training abroad. Some people think that we're spending government money, going on tour and having a gala time. But that's not the case. For the last four or five months, I've had to stay away from family and friends to train. You are returning from the ground at midnight and then having to cook your own food," said Sable.
Sable defended some of the lesser performances by Indians at the ongoing Olympics, stating that they're competing against the best athletes in the world.
"Some people are saying our athletes are coming last, but then we're competing against the world's best and trying hard," he said.