4 Indian athletes who are on police duty during coronavirus lockdown
With the novel coronavirus pandemic delaying major sporting events such as Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 and Tokyo Olympics 2020, sportspersons have been forced to go into self-isolation.
During this period of quarantine, Indian athletes have taken to social media, urging fans to stay indoors and maintain hygiene to stay away from the virus. Sachin Tendulkar, Siddharth Desai Thakur, Manika Batra among other athletes across sports have shared videos in which they have requested the public to ensure social distancing.
While the country has come under lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19, there are a few athletes who continue to serve the nation in their police uniforms day in and day out.
In order to maintain law and order in various parts of the country, these athletes have taken the threat of the virus head-on and patrol the roads to ensure the safety of citizens.
In this article, we have a look at four such Indian athletes who are serving in the police force even during these testing times.
#1 Ajay Thakur (Kabaddi)
Captain of the Indian men's kabaddi team, Ajay Thakur is currently serving his role as a Deputy Superintendent of Police in Himachal Pradesh. Thakur, who was the Man of the Tournament in the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup has acres of experience under his belt, having played 115 matches in the Pro Kabaddi League.
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On an Instagram post, Thakur requested fans to stay at home and follow the government's orders to ensure safety of each and every person. While he is currently patrolling the streets of Bilaspur, he will next be in action on the mat during PKL 8.
#2 Joginder Sharma (Cricket)
Hero of the 2007 T20 World Cup, former India seamer Joginder Sharma is now serving as a DSP in Hisar, Haryana. Sharma, who famously picked up the final wicket of Misbah-ul-Haq in the final of the T20 World Cup has been serving in the police forces for the last 13 years now.
#3 Akhil Kumar (Boxing)
2006 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Akhil Kumar, who also won a bronze medal in the 2007 edition of the Asian Championships is serving the Haryana Police Service as a DSP.
Kumar, an Arjuna Awardee was appointed by the Haryana government as a DSP back in 2008.
#4 Jitender Kumar (Boxing)
The 31-year-old boxer Jitender Kumar, who represented India in the flyweight division is currently posted in Rewari, Haryana. Kumar won bronze medals in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and the 2007 Asian Championships that was held in Ulan Bator, Mongolia.
Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, he said, "This is a fabulous decision taken by our honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Not just as a Policeman, but even as a citizen it is my duty to abide by the rules. I will be posted across various districts of Haryana, but I cannot reveal more details than that. I would urge every citizen to follow the lockdown completely as this is a problem not just India, but the world has never faced."
Kumar also represented India at the 2008 Beijing Olympics where he lost in the quarterfinals of the competition against Russia's Georgy Balakshin.