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Veteran wrestler Vinesh Phogat is likely to contest the Haryana Assembly elections, sources close to her told IANS on Tuesday. However, Vinesh had earlier said that she would not enter active politics. But according to the latest report, some political parties are trying their best to “persuade” her. Vinesh had lost the chance to win a gold medal in the women’s freestyle 50kg category at the Paris Olympics after she was knocked out of the final for being 100 grams overweight.
On Saturday, Vinesh was given a rousing welcome in the national capital and her village Balali in Sonipat. Congress MP Deepender Hooda and other members of his family garlanded her at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. However, it is not yet confirmed which party Vinesh is going to join.
When asked about the future plans of the 2024 Olympic finalist wrestler, sources close to the Phogat family told IANS, “Yes, why not? Chances are that you will see Vinesh Phogat vs Babita Phogat and Bajrang Punia vs Yogeshwar Dutt in the Haryana Assembly. Some political parties are trying to persuade them.”
As soon as Vinesh stepped out of the airport, she was given a rousing welcome by her fans, family and friends who had gathered in large numbers despite the early morning hours. The wrestling icon was moved to tears seeing the overwhelming support and affection.
Outside the airport, people celebrated and were in high spirits. Among the first to welcome Vinesh were Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, who retired from wrestling last year.
In a poignant moment, Vinesh and Sakshi, who have both faced significant challenges in their careers, hugged each other and cried as they shared the burden of their struggles.
Vinesh had said on Saturday, “Our fight is not over and the fight will continue and I pray to God that truth prevails.”
On Friday, Vinesh had expressed deep regret at not making it to the Olympic podium and linked her personal disappointment to the broader struggle for women’s rights in India, an issue she raised in her protest against the former wrestling federation chief.
In a three-page letter posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Friday night, Vinesh hinted at a possible return to the sport, leaving the doors slightly open for her despite her earlier decision to retire following her disqualification at the Paris Olympics.
Despite the team’s efforts, Vinesh failed to make the weight in time for the weighing scale, which led to her being disqualified from the gold medal. Her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for the joint silver medal was later rejected on Wednesday.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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