Amroha, December 23: Amid the growing debate on Lord Hanuman's identity, former Indian cricketer Chetan Chauhan has said that the lord was a sportsperson who is worshipped by many sportspersons even today, adding that his caste should not be discussed.

"I believe that he (Lord Hanuman) was a sportsman who use to wrestle with his enemies. All the sportsmen of our country worship him as they require power and energy like him to emerge victorious. The players do not worship him because of his caste. There is no caste of a Saint, there is no caste of a mystic and in the same way, we believe in Hanuman Ji. I consider him as God; I do not want him to get associated with some sought of caste," he told reporters here on Saturday. Hanuman Was Jaat, Says UP Minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary.

The row over Lord Hanuman's caste was sparked after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath while campaigning ahead of assembly polls in Rajasthan's Alwar district last month said Hanuman was a "Dalit"

Soon after, a number of spiritual as well as political leaders have put forth varying versions of Lord Hanuman's identity.