Gurugram: Olympian Vinesh Phogat’s political debut as the Congress candidate for Julana assembly seat in the upcoming elections in Haryana has deepened faultlines within the Phogat clan—the renowned family of wrestlers from village Balali, which comprises coach Mahavir Phogat, his daughters and his nieces.
Earlier this week, Vinesh’s cousin and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Babita Phogat posted on her social media account a clip from an interview to a news channel, where she iterates her willingness to go to Julana to campaign as BJP’s “star campaigner” against her cousin if asked by the party, in response to the interviewer’s question.
“In the past 10 years, under the leadership of our honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the amount of work done for sports and athletes is something even we, the athletes, couldn’t have imagined… Everyone is free to join any political party, but it is not right to constantly put BJP and Modi ji in the dock,” she wrote on X in Hindi.
Last year, Vinesh, along with wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshee Malikkh had led protests against former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Singh and the BJP-led government. Vinesh and Punia are now with the Congress, which has made the rift among the three evident.
Sakshee has now teamed up with Babita’s elder sister Geeta Phogat to launch the Wrestling Champions Super League and also praised the same government, which she had previously criticised, for its “sustained commitment and support”.
Punia is the husband of Mahavir’s youngest daughter, Sangita Phogat, and brother-in-law to Babita and Geeta. Appointed the national president of the All India Kisan Congress, Punia is now campaigning for Vinesh, even though he was not present when she filed her nomination papers.
आज जुलाना विधानसभा के रामराय गांव में बड़े भाई @DeependerSHooda जी और मेरे संघर्ष के साथी पहलवान @BajrangPunia जी ने जनता से मेरे लिए समर्थन और वोट की अपील की। जुलाना के मेरे परिवार ने अपनी बेटी पर हुए अत्याचार को भुलाया नहीं है। दिल्ली की सड़कों पर महिला पहलवानों को घसीटने का वो… pic.twitter.com/9ldgJNoR8k
— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) September 27, 2024
Babita told ThePrint that she contested the 2019 assembly election from Charkhi Dadri as a BJP candidate and is one of the party’s star campaigners this time. She has also been named the co-incharge of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, she said.
“If the party wants me to go to Julana and campaign against Vinesh, I will surely obey the directions as a disciplined member of the BJP,” she added.
Asked if her father Mahavir and her other sisters supported Vinesh’s decision to contest the election, Babita said that her father had already made it clear that Vinesh’s decision to join the Congress was not right and that she could have won a medal at the 2028 Olympics.
Babita also said that Vinesh did not consult Mahavir or other sisters regarding her decision to contest polls and that she was not in touch with the family at all.
Babita also told ThePrint that wrestler Malikkh—who had previously clarified that she was not siding with Vinesh and Punia in their decision to join the Congress—was also not in touch with Vinesh anymore.
The widening chasm between Vinesh and her uncle and cousins had first come to light, when she had posted a three-page letter on X on 16 August, announcing her retirement from wrestling after her disqualification from Olympics and thanking several people for their contribution to her career.
Geeta’s husband, Pawan Saroha had then posted in response that Vinesh should have thanked her uncle as well. The message was reposted by the Phogat sisters.
विनेश आपने बहुत ही बढ़िया लिखा है लेकिन शायद आज आप अपने ताऊ जी महावीर फोगाट को भूल गए हैं। जिन्होनें आपकी कुश्ती जीवन को शुरू किया था भगवान आपको शुद्ध बुद्धि दे ❤️🙏 https://t.co/BtQai2lcEp
— Pawan Saroha (@pawankumar86kg) August 16, 2024
Mahavir was present when Vinesh was felicitated by Khaps upon her return to the village, though none of her cousins were.
Malikkh and Geeta announced their plans to launch the Wrestling Champions Super League (WCSL) in identical messages on X on 16 September.
“There can be no greater honour than to fight for the tricolour and your love & inspiration made it possible. We are grateful, also, to our partners, both public & private, for their contribution and we specially acknowledge the Government’s sustained commitment & support,” the post read.
The day Vinesh and Punia had announced their decision to join Congress, Sakshee had posted on X that she was not associated with any political party.
It is Bajrang and Vinesh’s personal decision to enter politics. I extend my best wishes to them,” she had written.
सभी मीडिया के साथियों को सूचित करना चाहती हूँ कि मैं चुनाव नहीं लड़ रही हूँ, ना ही मैं किसी राजनीतिक दल में शामिल हूँ।
मेरा पूरा फोकस इस समय Sports में भारत को Number 1 बनाने पर है।
मेरा सपना है मेरे देश को कम से कम 50 Olympics मेडल मिलें। मुझे इस देश ने बहुत कुछ दिया है और ये…
— Sakshee Malikkh (@SakshiMalik) September 6, 2024
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The Phogats
Based in the village Balali in Haryana’s Charkhi Dadri district, the Phogats hold a prominent place in the world of Indian wrestling. Patriarch Mahavir Singh Phogat is credited for training his daughters and nieces, despite societal pressure.
His journey of coaching his daughters was depicted in the 2016 Bollywood film Dangal, where actor Aamir Khan portrayed him.
Though not in the spotlight, Mahavir’s wife Daya Kaur also supported his efforts towards training their daughters.
Geeta (36) became India’s first female wrestler to qualify for the Olympics in 2012. She won a gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. She also holds the position of deputy superintendent in Haryana Police.
Babita (35) was a gold medallist at the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and won a silver in 2010. She was a sub-inspector in Haryana Police. However, she resigned from her post to join the BJP before the 2019 assembly polls and contested unsuccessfully from Charkhi Dadri.
Ritu (30) was a bronze medallist at the 2016 U23 World Wrestling Championships. She later transitioned to the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) format and competed in the ONE Championship.
Sangita (26) continues to train and compete in wrestling. However, she has not yet achieved the same level of fame as her elder sisters. Punia, her husband, is an Olympic bronze medallist (2020 Tokyo Olympics).
Vinesh is the daughter of Rajpal Singh Phogat, Mahavir’s younger brother, who died in a road accident in 2000. After his death, Mahavir took the responsibility of raising and training Vinesh and her sister Priyanka.
Vinesh (30) won a bronze medal at the 2022 World Wrestling Championships, and gold at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games. She was also a gold medalist at the 2018 Asian Games.
Priyanka (31) was a silver medallist at the 2016 Asian Wrestling Championships.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)