Wrestling coach Mahavir Singh Phogat has expressed disappointment over his niece Vinesh Phogat’s decision to join the Congress party. Mahavir Phogat said that she could have postponed this move until after the 2028 Olympics, suggesting that her focus should have remained on securing the gold medal for India.
Vinesh, who faced disqualification during the Paris Olympics in 2024 for being overweight by just 100 grams, has now pivoted from the mat to the political arena and is on course to fight the Haryana Assembly elections from Julana next month. While acknowledging her achievements in wrestling, Mahavir Phogat said that the country had pinned hopes on her for a gold medal at the Olympics, and he feels her transition to politics came too soon.
“She did very well in the Paris Olympics but got disqualified in the final. It is my personal opinion that she should participate in the 2028 Olympics. Gold medal is my dream; she did not get it but the people of India gave her immense love and they had expected a Gold from her. People were disheartened. The decision that she has taken, I am saddened by it that she had joined politics. But she could have taken this decision after the 2028 Olympics, it would have been better,” Mahavir Phogat told ANI.
Mahavir Phogat, Dronacharya awardee, said there were no prior discussions or plans about her entering politics. He also hinted that Vinesh and fellow wrestler Bajrang Punia, who also joined the Congress, had no initial intentions of contesting elections.
“There was no such planning earlier. Neither Bajrang, nor she had this idea. I don’t know how Congress did it, but she had no intentions earlier to contest elections,” he added.
Mahavir Phogat also addressed the issue of his daughter Babita Phogat not receiving a BJP ticket for the upcoming elections.
“Not everyone gets a ticket. The decision that has been taken by the party has been taken with due deliberations. What the party decides, should be accepted,” he said.
Vinesh Phogat recently announced her retirement from wrestling before joining the Congress. The Olympian said that there is nothing bigger than being a winner in people’s eyes.
“It feels good, people are very excited, the responsibility we have been given, the Congress party has sent us here as candidates, so people are giving us love and supporting us. Our people will make me win, and I am a winner in their eyes, so nothing can be bigger than this,” Vinesh Phogat said, as quoted by news agency ANI.
Elections to the 90-member Haryana assembly will be help on October 5 while the counting of votes is scheduled for October 8. In the 2019 elections, BJP emerged victorious by winning 40 seats while the Congress won 30.