Sushil Kumar should not accept 'unsportsmanlike' nationals gold: Farhan Akhtar

Three opponents touched Sushil's feet while giving him a walkover as their tribute to India's greatest individual Olympian.

New Delhi: Two-time Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar ended his barren run of nine years without a Wrestling Nationals gold medal on Friday when he secured the win in the 74kg category.

However, his return to the mat after nearly three years has come with controversy. The Olympic medallist had to compete in just two of five bouts in the quarterfinals, semifinals and final all walkovers in Indore.

This unopposed path has left a bad taste in the mouth for many including Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar.

The 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' star, who does not seem convinced with the triumph, took to Twitter to voice out his opinion.

"I hold @WrestlerSushil in high regard for all he has achieved through hard work, discipline, blood and sweat. Sincerely hope he does not accept the gold in this manner. It's not sportsmanlike," he tweeted.

I hold @WrestlerSushil in high regard for all he has achieved through hard work, discipline, blood and sweat. Sincerely hope he does not accept the gold in this manner. It’s not sportsmanlike. pic.twitter.com/Nv7WuOSJJz — Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) November 18, 2017

It should be noted the three opponents also touched Sushil's feet while giving him a walkover as their tribute to India's greatest individual Olympian.

Among the mixed reactions, there were some who celebrated the return of the champion wrestler but there were some who questioned his manner of victory and called it a "sham" and "unsportsmanlike".

Akhtar's tweet, too, drew a varied response from Twitter users. While there were some who supported the actor and the stance while calling for Sushil to return the medal, there were some who pointed out that a walkover was well within the rules