Vinesh must rethink retirement, prepare for next Olympics: Mahavir Phogat

Hours after wrestler Vinesh Phogat announced retirement from wrestling, her uncle Mahavir Phogat and his daughter Babita Phogat said they would urge the top wrestler, once she returns, to reconsider her decision and begin preparation for the next Olympics.

On Thursday morning, Vinesh took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce her decision to quit the game a day after she was disqualified for being 100 gram overweight ahead of her gold medal bout in the 50-kg freestyle category.

Mahavir Phogat said he, Bajrang Punia and other family members would urge Vinesh to rethink as she announced so because she was pained over the incidents which unfolded in the last two days. “She took the decision because of her mental state after being disqualified. She played in three Olympics and we were expecting a gold medal this time. Our family members will request her to change her decision and start preparing for the 2028 Olympics,” he added.

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Babita said the family is saddened after Vinesh was disqualified and is hoping that the Court of Arbitration for Sport will resolve the issue and award her a joint silver medal. “There is a lot of game left in Vinesh and we will ask her to continue wrestling. Our family will hold talks with her once she returns home,” she added.

Mahavir and Babita, a BJP leader, also slammed former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for his remarks that had the Congress numbers in Haryana assembly, he would have sent Vinesh to Rajya Sabha. Terming it a mere political stunt, Mahavir questioned why his daughter Geeta Phogat, a Commonwealth gold medalist, was not sent to the upper house during his government. “Geeta was the first woman wrestler to win a Commonwealth gold medal and qualify for the Olympics. During Hooda’s government, Geeta and Babita were to be made DSPs but he discriminated against them and made Geeta inspector and Babita sub-inspector. We approached the court where the matter was resolved,” he added.

BJP leader and former wrestler Babita Phogat accused Hooda and his son Deepender of politicising the issue to take political advantage. “I will urge Hooda and Deepeder not to break our family by politicising the issue. Why Hooda discriminated against me and my sister Geeta during his government and not made us DSPs?” she questioned.