Haryana has contributed four out of the six medals secured by India in the Paris Olympics. While the sports cradle of the country missed out on a gold medal, it has struck a ‘goldmine’ in pre-election action, with the Olympic Games becoming a key focus. A report by Aayush Goel
As the Paris Olympics conclude, Haryana has four out of six medals secured by India to its credit. While the sports cradle of the country missed out on a gold medal, it has struck a ‘goldmine’ in pre-election action, with the Olympic Games becoming a key focus. The parties all set for the Vidhan Sabha elections in October this year are battling it out over sports with Vinesh Phogat emerging as the biggest catch.
Phogat, who had hit headlines in 2023 for taking on the BJP government by leading the wrestler protest at Jantar Mantar, resonated with national sentiments with her victory in the semi-final and denial of a medal for being overweight by almost 100 grams in the 50kg category. While CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) is yet to decide her fate, the parties have lined up to woo her and are in one voice recommending her for Rajya Sabha nomination. Vinesh’s Olympic stint has given Haryana’s poll pitch more masala than the regular allegations and counter-allegations. Not just Vinesh but Manu Bhakar who has secured the double medal in shooting and become the only women athlete from the country to do so too has been creating ripples with her meetings with party leaders. While Congress is flaunting her pictures with Rahul and Sonia Gandhi crediting the party’s sports policy in Haryana during the Bhupinder Singh Hooda regime for nurturing talents like her, the BJP is circulating the mega awards benefits for the sports persons.
Oneupmanship over Phogat
The BJP which was branded as anti-sportsperson for not supporting wrestler’s protest against Brij Bhushan is in a damage control mode as Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has announced that Phogat would be honored at par with a silver medalist and accorded a grand welcome on her return. “She is Haryana’s courageous daughter who gave a brilliant performance in the Olympics and reached the finals. She might not have been able to contest the final match but she is a champion for all of us. Our government has taken this decision that we shall honor and welcome her in the same way as we do for a medalist. The Haryana government will honor her at par with a silver medal winner and provide all awards and facilities”, Saini announced on X. According to the government’s sports policy, Rs 6 crore is given to Olympic gold medalists, while silver medalists are given Rs 4 crore, and bronze medal winners receive Rs 2.5 crore.
Congress Leader of the Opposition and former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda however calls it pre-poll drama and seeks the benefits of a gold medalist for Vinesh. In what is being called a political masterstroke, as Haryana gears up for Rajya Sabha elections on September 03, Hooda has appealed for the nomination of Vinesh for the seat vacated by his son Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda. “There should be an investigation into the reason for disqualifying Vinesh Phogat. Today, a Rajya Sabha seat is vacant in Haryana. If I had the majority, I would have sent her to the Rajya Sabha” said Hooda.
Deepender, supporting his father’s statement, said, “Vinesh has not lost, but she has won the hearts of crores of people. The sports system has lost. The government should give her all the facilities that are given to a gold medalist. Today, a Rajya Sabha seat is vacant in Haryana. We do not have a majority, but if there is any suitable person in the country to become an MP, it is Vinesh. She has emerged as a symbol of inspiration and courage for the world and the country”.
Vinesh’s uncle, father of celebrated wrestlers Geeta and Babita Phogat, Mahavir Singh Phogat however called it a political stunt saying Hooda didn’t do enough for his daughters when he was in power. Responding to the father-son duo, Mahavir said that all this was just politically motivated. He further asked the former chief minister why he did not send his daughter and wrestler Geeta Phogat to the Rajya Sabha.
“Geeta and Babita are torchbearers of women wrestling in the country. In 2010 when it was the Hooda government during the Commonwealth games, Geeta won the gold. She was the first Indian female wrestler to do so. Babita won a silver. The sports policy mandated that both be appointed DSPs but he made Geeta an inspector while Babita a Sub-Inspector. I had to go to court to get them their rightful and due positions according to policy. They were in government and Geeta had opened a new sports avenue for women in a patriarchal state. Why didn’t this thought come when they were in power? Saying such things today doesn’t look good”, he said.
The issue has created ripples but may not be of much relevance as according to norms, a Rajya Sabha MP should be of a minimum age of 29 years. According to the schedule released by the EC, nominations can be filed from August 14 to August 21. Candidates have until August 27 to withdraw their nominations. Voting and ballot counting will take place on September 3. Vinesh, who is 29 now, was born on August 25, 1994. She will turn 30 four days after the last date of nomination (August 21, 2024), and is thus not eligible to be elected for the vacant Rajya Sabha seat (Haryana).
Nevertheless, jumping on the bandwagon, former Haryana Deputy CM and JJP leader Dushyant Chautala too has demanded her nomination like the cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. He appealed in this regard to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narender Modi.
Dushyant Chautala posted about his demands on ‘X’ on Monday, “Four nominated members’ seats are vacant in Rajya Sabha for which the President will soon nominate four members. I request the President and the Prime Minister to nominate the country’s brave daughter, Vinesh Phogat to the Rajya Sabha like Sachin Tendulkar so that a strong voice of youth, women, and sportspersons reaches the country’s Parliament.”
Reacting to the political drama over Vinesh Phogat, wrestler Bajrang Punia said, “That’s how the world changes. We have not forgotten how she was dragged on the streets and written off as a rebellious Jat girl. Today she has become Desh ki Beti.”
The ‘other’ four medalists
With the disqualification episode and political drama around it, Vinesh may be the most talked about Olympian this year but it does not take the limelight away from others. Shooter Manu Bhaker has done the country proud by winning two bronze medals in the Paris Olympics. This is the first time since Independence and the second in India’s Olympic history if Norman Pritchard’s two silvers in the 1900 Paris Olympics are considered. Bhaker won a medal in the women’s 10m air pistol and another for the 10m air pistol mixed team event along with Sarabjot Singh, also from Haryana. India’s own Javelin star Neeraj Chopra won a silver medal, missing out on gold to Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem while Aman Sehrawat won a bronze in the Men’s 57kg freestyle event. Haryana has also contributed to the hockey bronze medal with three players of the hockey team being from the state.
Medal surge, minimal support
With four out of six medals to its credit Haryana constituting just 2.09 percent of the country’s population has yet again proven its supremacy in Indian sports. The Olympics 2024 in addition to the celebration has highlighted the disparity in fund allocation to states under the Khelo India scheme. Despite sending the maximum number of athletes for the Olympics and getting maximum medals, Haryana got only 66 crores under the scheme while states like Gujarat who sent only 2 athletes and got no medals managed to get 426 crores. Similarly, UP managed to get over 438 crores though it sent only 6 athletes.
