NEW DELHI: Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik has come out in support of fellow wrestler Vinesh Phogat amid her dispute with the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) over returning to competitive wrestling after retirement.Vinesh recently tried to compete at the National Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda despite the federation declaring her ineligible.
The WFI said wrestlers must serve a mandatory six-month notice period before making a comeback under anti-doping rules. However, Vinesh, who became a mother 10 months ago, has challenged the decision and refused to step away.Sakshi said she usually avoids political matters because 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 relax rules to help women athletes continue their careers after motherhood. “But our federation has come up with rules to stop Vinesh from making a comeback,” Sakshi said.She appealed directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and the WFI to give Vinesh a fair opportunity.“I would request the Prime Minister, the Sports Minister and the WFI to take Vinesh’s trial so that she can also win medals for the country and be an example for women by winning medals after becoming a mother,” she added.Vinesh had retired after a heartbreaking disqualification at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she missed the weight limit by just 100 grams before the final. Later, she entered politics and became an MLA from Haryana’s Julana constituency.