Virat Kohli lashes out at Olympic Critics

Virat Kohli might have clinched a series win over the West Indies, however, that did not stop the Indian skipper speaking about the Indian athletes present at the Rio Games. The Indians at Rio have been disappointing thus far and have not yet claimed a medal. However, the critics present within the subcontinent has taken to social media to criticise the Indian athletes, the most prominent of those being Shobaa De.

Virat Kohli has joined the chorus of those defending the Indians at Rio stating that the athletes give their heart and soul to those staking a claim in the Olympics. “In an event like Olympics, firstly we need to look at how these athletes prepare. They give their heart and soul. And for some people to just ignore what they do, I think it is very hurtful. Even in cricket, you can’t perform every game and you don’t win every series,” Kohli said.

“These guys go and give 100 percent effort in what they do. Some people don’t even have 10 percent of the facilities that sportsmen from other countries have. And then they sit and compare in our country,” he added.

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“They’re giving their 120 percent effort, and at the end of the day, that is what matters. Once someone wins a medal, that’s a big deal because we understand that we don’t have those kinds of facilities, but still these guys work as hard as anyone else in the world. They try and go and win a medal for us,” he said.

Finally, Kohli said that it was all about staying positive. “I think we just need to stay positive with all the events that are left. We must give credit to the guys who have gone on and completed. Hats off to the guys who go there and compete and are there in the mix because it’s so hard with no preparation and facility, it’s so hard to be at that level. But still they go out there and give their heart and soul for the country and we should appreciate that,” he added.

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