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Chandigarh: Hooda seeks Union sports minister’s intervention
“She was neither permitted to participate in the competition nor allowed to utilise the training hall for the national open ranking tournament at Gonda,’’ Hooda said.
Former Haryana chief minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, on Tuesday sought intervention of Union sports minister, Mansukh Mandaviya, to resolve the dispute between the Olympian wrestler Vinesh Phogat and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). The WFI has ruled Phogat ineligible for the 2026 Asian Games selection trials under new qualification rules denting her comeback prospects.
In a statement, Hooda said that the allegations being leveled by the athlete were extremely serious. “Vinesh Phogat has brought honour to the country on numerous occasions. Thus, it becomes the responsibility of the Central government and sports bodies to ensure that her dignity is not compromised in any way,” he said. Phogat is also a Congress legislator representing Julana assembly constituency in Haryana.
The former CM said that if Vinesh Phogat wishes to participate in sports competitions such as the Asian Games, she must be given an opportunity to do so. “She was neither permitted to participate in the competition nor allowed to utilise the training hall for the national open ranking tournament at Gonda,’’ Hooda said.
The leader of the opposition said that the functioning of the WFI has frequently come under scrutiny. “It is therefore imperative that the Union sports minister himself takes cognizance of the matter and intervenes to ensure that no athlete is deprived of their rightful entitlements,” he said.
Hooda said that if Vinesh wanted to make a comeback through sheer hard work and aims to win medals for the nation, the sports bodies should extend cooperation rather than subject her to discrimination.
