close
Thursday April 25, 2024

Indian wrestler cops life ban for punching referee

By AFP
May 19, 2022

NEW DELHI: An Indian wrestler has been banned for life after punching a referee as tempers boiled over in a sweltering New Delhi arena with no air-conditioning during an intense heatwave.

Satender Malik was sweating it out in the 125kg class during trials on Tuesday for this year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham when the referee ruled in favour of his opponent. Seething with anger and covered in sweat, Malik stormed across the mat, shouted expletives at referee Jagbir Singh and punched him in the face.