Virat Kohli postpones Indian Sports Honours awards as mark of respect for Pulwama attack martyrs

Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli has postponed the Indian Sports Honours awards as a mark of respect to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans who were martyred at Pulwama in a tragic terror attack. The Virat Kohli foundation and RP-SG group annually reward excellence in sports to provide encouragement and nurture promising athletes. The award show was supposed to take place today (16 February).

More than 40 (CRPF) jawans lost their lives on Thursday when militants targeted their convoy in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

As per an ANI report, an improvised explosive device (IED) blast was followed by gunshots in Goripora area of Awantipora. The convoy of 78 vehicles which included more than 2,500 CRPF personnel was attacked. Many of the jawans were returning to duty in the Valley from leave when they were attacked on the Srinagar-Jammu highway.

The RP-SG Indian Sports Honours has been postponed. At this heavy moment of loss that we all find ourselves in, we would like to cancel this event that was scheduled to take place tomorrow.

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) February 15, 2019

The Virat Kohli Foundation, in a press release, stated that hosting an event was unacceptable at this moment when India is mourning the death of its jawans. Kohli tweeted as well to inform about the development. He wrote on his Twitter, “The RP-SG Indian Sports Honours has been postponed. At this heavy moment of loss that we all find ourselves in, we would like to cancel this event that was scheduled to take place tomorrow.”