Former World sprint champion Yohan Blake, in an emotional message, begs Indians to 'do what you can to stay safe' as COVID-19 continues to ravage the country he loves so much
Celebrated Jamaican sprinter and huge cricket fan, Yohan Blake became the latest celebrity sports star to pray for India as the world's most populous country battles a deadly second wave of coronavirus pandemic, crossing an unwanted landmark of two lakh fatalities on Wednesday. (More Sports News)
A day after witnessing a slight dip in the number of nationwide COVID-19 infections and deaths, India recorded another record surge -- of 362,902 cases and 3,285 fatalities -- in the last 24 hours. The grim fact is, for the first time since the beginning of the outbreak, India witnessed more than 3000 deaths on a single day.
Taking to Twitter, Blake wrote: "Just want to take this time to send my love to India. I have been watching cricket over the years. I have grown to love to country so much. Wonderful people all around. I am begging everyone please do what what you can to stay safe. I know it may [be] difficult but imagine if we work together."
Olympic silver medallist Blake, who is also the youngest 100m world champion, had earlier expressed his desire to play for Royal Challengers Bangalore because of Virat Kohli.
On Tuesday, following the footsteps of Australian compatriot Pat Cummins, former pacer Brett Lee donated one bitcoin (approximately Rs 40 lakh) to help India in its fight against the raging pandemic.
"It saddens me deeply to see people suffering due to the ongoing pandemic. I feel privileged to be in a position of making a difference and with that in mind, I'd like to donate 1 BTC (Bitcoin) to Crypto Relief to help with the purchase of oxygen supplies for the hospitals across India," Lee said in a statement which he posted on Twitter.
On Monday, Cummins, playing for Kolkata Knight Riders in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, announced a USD 50,000 donation towards the PM CARES Fund for oxygen supplies in India's hospitals.
"As players, we are privileged to have the platform that allows us to reach millions of people that we can use for good. With that in mind, I have made a contribution to the PM CARES Fund, specifically to purchase oxygen supplies for India's hospitals," he stated.
He also said that he is aware of the ongoing discussion on whether the IPL should continue amid the destruction caused by the virus but has been told that the event offers some respite from the gloom.
"There has been a lot of discussion over here as to whether it is appropriate for the IPL to continue while COVID-19 infection rates remain high," he said.
"I am advised that Indian government is of the view that playing the IPL while the population is in lockdown provides few hours of joy and respite each day at an otherwise difficult time for the country," Cummins said in his statement.
Earlier, reigning Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton prayed "for the beautiful of India" and said, "I know this pandemic is hitting so many places around the world. Please stay safe out there."
India now has nearly 3 million active cases. The country has been reporting over 300,000 cases daily for almost a week now.