Sport continues to be a catalyst for protest despite misgivings

Sport and politics would ideally never mix but as the world becomes increasingly divided on societal issues, sporting platforms have turned into lightning rods for social activism.

Be it athletes or spectators, disobedience or disruption has been the order of the day as they attempt to transcend the boundaries of the arena and convey their views to millions of people worldwide.

When Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the U.S. national anthem at NFL games to protest against racial injustice in 2016, little did he know the butterfly effect his deed would have as it sparked debates and polarised a country.

But his gesture has since been embraced by top leagues around the world, none more so than England's Premier League - European soccer's most lucrative and popular competition.

A spillover from the Black Lives Matter movement that began over three years ago, the league's players continue to fight discrimination by taking a knee before some games this season.

"We are unified in our belief that any form of discrimination has no place within football or wider society," the 20 Premier League captains said earlier this year.

"(We) are committed to using our platform to help celebrate diversity and show our support in the fight against racism."

The continued protests are, to a large extent, to do with rampant online abuse which rears its ugly head every week, with social media platforms seemingly unable to stem the flow of unbridled rage and racial abuse that lands in players' inboxes.

Outside the arena, Olympic medal-winning wrestlers in India found out the hard way what lies in store for those who leverage their popularity to go up against a member of the ruling party after months of protests on the streets fell on deaf ears.

India's