 "Babita Phogat is unhappy that Vinesh did not thank Mahavir Singh in her open letter. Images: PTI")
Babita Phogat has hit back at her cousin sister Vinesh Phogat for failing to thank Dronacharya awardee and wrestling coach Mahavir Singh Phogat in her ’thank you note’. Uncle Mahavir Singh Phogat’s name was missing from the open letter Vinesh had shared on the social media platform ‘X’ after her disqualification from the Paris Olympics.
Babita, who is the daughter of Mahavir Singh Phogat, has now publicly spoken on the matter and shared how her father fought hard to make Vinesh a wrestler.
Vinesh’s disqualification left Mahavir emotional
“I have seen my father cry just three times in my life. First, when me and my sisters got married. Second, when my uncle died and third, when Vinesh got disqualified from the Olympics,” Babita said on journalist Sushant Sinha’s podcast.
“When my uncle died, Vinesh and both of her siblings suddenly quit wrestling. My father went to their house and fought with their mother to get them back to wrestling. Imagine how much he has worked to make Vinesh. But she thanked everyone except for that guru,” the former India wrestler remarked.
Vinesh was disqualified from the Paris Olympics 2024 after reaching the final of the 50kg wrestling event. The 30-year-old was disqualified as she was found to be 100 grams overweight on the day of the gold medal match.
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View AllShe later made an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) for a joint silver but the appeal was rejected, following which she retired from wrestling.
Vinesh enters politics
Vinesh is currently fighting in the Haryana assembly election as she has been nominated by the Congress party from the Julana constituency. Meanwhile, Babita, who is a member of the BJP party, has not been given a ticket for the upcoming Haryana elections. She had lost from Dadri in the 2019 elections.
The Haryana elections will take place on 5 October and the results will be declared on 8th.