Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik. (Image file) NEW DELHI: Olympic medalist Sakshi Malik has backed fellow wrestler Vinesh Phogat amid her spat with the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) over her return to competitive wrestling after retirement.Vinesh recently attempted to compete in the National Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda despite being declared ineligible by the federation.
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Vinesh Phogat broke his silence on the WFI announcementThe WFI said wrestlers must serve a mandatory six-month notice period before returning under anti-doping rules. However, Vinesh, who became a mother 10 months ago, questioned the decision and refused to budge.Sakshi said she usually avoids political matters as Vinesh is now a Congress MLA, but she felt the issue was bigger than politics.In a video shared on social media, Sakshi pointed out that many countries around the world are relaxing rules to help female athletes continue their careers after motherhood. “But our federation has come up with rules to prevent Vinesh from coming back,” said Sakshi.She appealed directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and the WFI to give Vinesh a fair chance.“I would request the Prime Minister, Sports Minister and WFI to take up Vinesh’s trial so that she can also win medals for the country and be an example for women by winning medals after she becomes a mother,” she added.Vinesh stepped down after a heartbreaking disqualification from the 2024 Paris Olympics where she missed the weight limit by just 100 grams before the final. She later entered politics and became the MLA from Haryana’s Julana constituency.
