COVID-19: Sports fraternity participates in PM Modi's diya campaign

Several athletes lit candles and diyas on Sunday night as they responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's '9 pm, 9-min' appeal to defeat the coronavirus in the country.Boxer Mary Kom, wrestler Bajrang Punia, table tennis player Manika Batra and sprinter Hima Das all took part in this initiative."I took part in this initiative, hope you all also did the same. Let us together fight against coronavirus and send the message of unity to the world," Punia told ANI.Modi had requested everyone to switch off all lights of their houses tonight at '9 pm for 9 minutes' and just light candles or diyas to mark the fight against coronavirus, which has claimed 83 lives in the country so far.The number of coronavirus cases in India has surged past 3500 with 505 new cases in the last 24 hours from across the country.According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of COVID-19 positive cases in the country has gone up to 3,577 as on Sunday.