Yogeshwar Dutt, Sandeep join BJP

New Delhi : Olympic medallist wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt and former Indian hockey captain Sandeep Singh joined the BJP on Thursday along with Akali Dal MLA Balkaur Singh.

Dutt, an Indian freestyle wrestler from Haryana who won the bronze medal in the 60 kg category at the 2012 Summer Olympics, said he has long been impressed with the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Modi had shown that "good things can be done in politics", added Dutt. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2013 and won a gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Echoing his view, Singh said he will now serve the country in politics after doing so as a sportsperson. The former captain of the Indian national hockey team was seriously injured when he was accidentally shot in 2006 while on his way to join the national team which was due to leave for the World Cup in Africa two days later.

He was on the wheelchair for a year but regained his position in the team and played in the 2010 World Cup for India. Singh currently holds a DSP rank in the Haryana Police. The Bollywood film "Soorma" was recently made on his life.