Vinesh Phogat opts for Rs 4 crore, not job or plot, from BJP govt in Haryana
NEW DELHI, APR 10 : Wrestler-turned-Congress MLA Vinesh Phogat has chosen a cash prize of Rs 4 crore offered by the BJP-led Haryana government. She had the option of picking from among a cash reward, a residential plot, or a Group A government job under the state’s sports policy. This was the state’s attempt to honour her with benefits equivalent to an Olympic silver medallist, despite her disqualification from the 2024 Paris Olympics.
These rewards fall under the purview of the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP).
Under its sports policy, the Haryana government offers top athletes, including Olympians, a deputy director-level post in the sports department.
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Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini had promised to reward Phogat as an Olympic medallist in August 2024, after she was disqualified from the final of the women’s 50kg freestyle wrestling category for exceeding the weight limit by 100 grams.
In March this year, Phogat, now a Congress MLA from Julana in Jind district, raised the issue of the unfulfilled promise during the Haryana Assembly’s budget session.
“It is not about money. It is about respect,” she said.
Days later, the state cabinet approved the decision to offer Phogat Olympic-level benefits under its sports policy.
Haryana’s sports policy is considered one of the most generous in the country. It offers Rs 6 crore to Olympic gold medallists, Rs 4 crore to silver medallists, and Rs 2.5 crore to bronze medallists.
But, Phogat’s cash prize selection has not gone without criticism.
Haryana Congress leader Ravinder Singh Dhull, who was a party ticket before the Assembly election, took a dig at Phogat on Thursday for picking the cash reward.
“If you are distributing freebies blindly, then give it to me as well,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
VINESH PHOGAT AND THE PARIS OLYMPICS SAGA
In Paris last August, 29-year-old Phogat made history as the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final. However, she was disqualified just before the final bout for weighing in 100 grams over the 50kg limit — a strict violation under United World Wrestling rules.
While the disqualification was purely technical, many linked it to her high-profile 2023 protest alongside fellow wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik when they suspended their practice. The trio had accused former Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment of female wrestlers.
On August 7, 2024, as the nation reacted to Phogat’s disqualification, CM Saini posted on X, calling her “Haryana’s pride”.
Phogat announced her retirement from wrestling on August 8, 2024, stating she lacked the strength to continue. She soon transitioned into politics, joined the Congress, and won the Julana seat in the October 2024 Haryana Assembly elections.
Phogat had also accused the Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha for not providing enough support during her tragic journey to the Paris Olympics 2024.
Some people criticised the decision to reward Phogat and her for accepting the money.
“Rs 4 crore for what? Fighting hunger, malnutrition, gender discrimination, feticide or infanticide ? Giving such a large money to Vinesh Phogat is irrational, arbitrary and populist use of public money,” said a person on X.
-PTI
