Odisha Wrestlers Forced To Travel Near Train Toilets In Freezing Cold Without Tickets For Championship

A video shared on social media shows the athletes sitting outside the toilet area inside the train.

Responding to the incident, Odisha Education Minister Nityananda told news agency ANI, “I have been informed that our students who travelled to Uttar Pradesh for the national championships faced inconvenience during their train journey due to a ticket issue. We will certainly look into the matter and initiate an inquiry into what happened. Appropriate action will be taken.”

Hari Prasad Pattanayak, general secretary of the Odisha State Karate Association, said, “It is definitely an unfortunate incident. The system needs to be improved. Getting train tickets in India is very difficult, and we have to think more broadly.”

According to an NDTV report, seats were reserved for only four out of the 18 athletes sent for the national-level competition in Uttar Pradesh.