Haryana polls: Young women wrestlers pin hope on Vinesh Phogat for safety, return to akhada

Jind/Sonipat: Several women wrestlers in Haryana, especially those rethinking their career paths in the wake of protests against sexual harassment in the WFI, are hoping Vinesh Phogat becomes the state's sports minister and helps them return to the akhada.

Wrestling arenas or akhada were once abuzz with activity as young girls and boys trained with a common goal -- medals at big events followed by government jobs.

However, things changed after the January 2023 protests by top wrestlers, including Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia, demanding the resignation of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and then BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for allegedly harassing junior women wrestlers.

The akhada have since witnessed a spurt in dropouts among young women grapplers.

"I did not come here for five months after the protests began as my parents did not allow me to continue training," said a young woman wrestler training at the Yudhvir Akhada in Sonipat, the biggest arena in the district for girls.

"I have somehow convinced them to resume training but now my father accompanies me and waits as long as I am here," the wrestler said, requesting anonymity.

"We hope that when Vinesh Phogat gets elected, she is made the sports minister because she understands the challenges that women wrestlers face," she told PTI.

Phogat is contesting the assembly elections in Haryana from Julana in Jind district.

At the Meher Singh Akhada in Rohtak, there has been a significant drop in the number of young grapplers coming for training.

Mohit Malik, the owner of the akhada, said Phogat's performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she missed out on a gold medal, would motivate parents sceptical about sending their daughters to the akhada.

"Vinesh's Olympic performance is expected to change things and give strength to those families who have been uncertain about sending their daughters to the akhada," he said.

"There is unemployment in the state and one way to secure a government job is through sports, that is what the common people believe. The funding for the akhada also comes from local residents or individuals and there is very limited government support," he added.

While Phogat is not the candidate from his constituency, Malik said she had his support, along with that of several wrestlers and coaches at the akhada across the state.

"We need someone from amongst us to be able to be our voice in the Vidhan Sabha. Vinesh knows the challenges a wrestler has to face" he said.

The Olympian, however, has asserted that she didn't want Julana to be known only because of her.

"People are saying that Julana is now famous because I am contesting. I want Julana to be known for employment, for wrestling, and not for Vinesh," she said during a public meeting in Siwaha village in Jind.

Phogat, who was born in Charkhi Dadri, joined the Congress after returning from the Olympic Games where she was disqualified from the women's 50-kilogramme freestyle wrestling final for being 100 grams overweight.

She had defeated four-time wrestling world champion Yui Susaki of Japan on her way to the final.

The Dada Shyam Akhada in Jhajjar is also betting on Phogat's victory in the elections.

"She has already set a benchmark for women wrestlers. We are hopeful that when she is elected, she will set an example for other politicians by standing up for her own community and wrestlers," said Virender Bhuria from Dada Shyam Akhada.

"Wrestlers are seen as players, as strugglers but not as politicians...we are confident that Vinesh will break this stereotype," he added.

Phogat has been canvassing extensively in her constituency and is visiting the different akhada to seek their support.

AAP's Kavita Dalal -- the first woman wrestler to compete in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) -- is taking on Phogat from Julana.

Dalal won a gold medal in the 2016 South Asian Games and represented India in weightlifting before transitioning to professional wrestling. She was with the WWE from 2017 to 2021.

The BJP has fielded Yogesh Bairagi, a former Indian Army captain and a commercial pilot, from the seat.

Phogat is not the first woman wrestler from the state to join politics and contest elections. Her cousin Babita Phogat had unsuccessfully contested the assembly polls in 2019 from Charkhi Dadri.

Assembly polls in Haryana will be held on October 5 and the results declared on October 8.