Former wrestling coach and Vinesh Phogat’s uncle, Mahavir Singh Phogat, has announced that his daughter, Sangeeta Phogat, will now carry forward his Olympic dreams as he has started training her for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. This comes after Vinesh Phogat, alongside her husband and Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Punia, joined the Congress party last Friday. Vinesh is set to make her electoral debut in Julana, Jind district.
“Vinesh was supposed to compete in the LA Olympics, but now that she has chosen politics, we have shifted our focus to Sangeeta. She will win a medal for India in 2028. Due to the Jantar Mantar protests, Sangeeta missed the nationals. Babita Phogat is also unable to return to wrestling due to her knee issues,” Mahavir Phogat told IANS.
The Dronacharya Award-winning coach expressed his disappointment with Vinesh’s decision to enter politics and contest the upcoming Haryana elections, stating that he had hoped she would aim for gold at the 2028 Olympics. “We wanted Vinesh to focus on the 2028 Olympics, but her decision to contest elections is hers and her husband Somvir’s. We never wanted her to enter politics. I am not pleased with her choice,” he said. “Winning a gold medal at the Olympics would be remembered forever, more than any political title.”
Mahavir Phogat also accused former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda and Deepender Hooda of influencing Vinesh to join politics, saying, “After the heartbreak of missing out on the 2024 Olympics, Hooda and his son Deepender saw an opportunity to push Vinesh into politics. Initially, she was not keen on contesting elections.”
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Vinesh Phogat missed out on the chance to compete for a gold medal in the women’s freestyle 50kg category at the Paris Olympics after being disqualified for being 100 grams overweight. Following this setback, she announced her retirement from wrestling on social media.
