Wrestler-turned-politician Vinesh Phogat: Brij Bhushan is surviving because of political power … we also have to be powerful’

Excerpts:

After the Olympics heartbreak, how has been your political experience so far?

I had decided not to enter politics. But when fighting this big battle (protest), I realised you need to be in politics to change things. People told me that I will lose the goodwill, but that hasn’t happened. I see emotions for a beti and a bahu … the love and respect have increased, more so from women. They are hugging and blessing me. Joining politics was a big decision, it was God’s will. I am following my destiny.

Medal missed or your protests against a powerful politician and official like Brij Bhushan Singh … What has struck a chord with people?

I think the protests. People feel that what we did was for their daughters and their families. Olympic achievement is something personal, when we do something for others, people return the love. I didn’t expect so much love and support. When we were protesting, people were coming and going. But it didn’t become a mass movement, like the farmers’ agitation where a huge group protested for two years. We realised that our fight is not everyone’s fight. People have their own compulsions, they have jobs and personal matters to take care of.

Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik address the media during protest. (Express photo)

When you were protesting on the streets, other wrestlers were preparing for the Olympics. Despite that, you defeated the unchallenged Japanese wrestler Yui Susaki and reached the final ..

I don’t know … it is a God-given strength. If I decide in my heart that I need to do something, nobody can stop me from achieving it. That’s how I am, there is only one Vinesh. Even when I was at the protest, not for a moment did I think that I had given up wrestling, even when an injury happened. I was determined to go to the Olympics.

You didn’t lose a bout at the Olympics. Do you look at it as a positive?

No. It was a very difficult situation. At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, I had lost but after three-four months, I could reconcile to the setback. At the Rio Olympics where I had a knee injury during a bout, I didn’t know if I had reached my full potential. Here it was the same, I don’t know if I could have won gold. I can’t accept it as a loss nor can I accept it as a win.

When the scale showed you were 100 grams over the limit, what was your reaction?

I was blank. I started begging and pleading. I was telling them – ‘Check again, check again’. There was this Hungarian girl there who is a friend. She had tears in her eyes and said ‘I wish I could do something’. Suddenly, my body was lifeless.

Do you think the international wrestling body, UWW, should allow for at least a 1kg allowance on the second day?

Definitely. I think there is no need to even check the weight again of those who have reached the final. Or they should delay the weigh-in a bit on the second day so it gives more time. There needs to be an allowance, especially for women since their body structure is different from men. Women can’t lose more than 3 kg in a day when you are at peak fitness because your fat percent is already very low. Men wrestlers can but we cannot because our body retains water. All women athletes are concerned about the weight cut on the second day. At the Games Village, there were at least 50 athletes, from different sports, who hugged me and said that this is wrong.

You have spoken about the Prime Minister’s silence during your protest at Jantar Mantar …

It was very disappointing. He keeps meeting athletes and doing this and that. If he feels genuinely about sports and has genuine love for sportspeople, I don’t think he could have stopped himself from reaching out after such a major thing happened (protests)… To say nothing even when he knows everything … that is not genuine love for sportspersons, He just wants to show his power.

The Prime Minister had tweeted after you missed out on a medal saying ‘you are a champion among champions’

When did he tweet? A whole day after I reached the final, there was no tweet. He calls all athletes immediately. The weigh-in issue happened the next day. Why didn’t I get a call from the PM once I reached the final? The reason is obvious.

How has your mother reacted to all this? What did she say when you decided to enter politics?

I didn’t tell my mother that I was joining politics. My mother does not know what I am up to. She sees it on the news channels and then gets to know. I have not spoken to her after joining politics. The last time I spoke to her was when I reached home after the Paris Olympics. There was no time after that. My mother said she had dressed up like it was my wedding when she came to the airport to receive me. That day, someone asked her how she felt on seeing me. She said she was happy that people were giving so much love to her daughter but said she was feeling empty inside.

How did she feel when you missed a medal?

She and the family were sad. You dream about an Olympic medal for so many years and then… My mother fasted so many times for me and then when you can’t win a medal, you feel bad. We have not spoken about the day I could not make the weight cut. My mother is very strong mentally. That trait is in me too. My mother was strong earlier too but she has struggled over the years and that has made her stronger.

What about the support from your brother?

My brother gets very tense for the smallest things. If I am injured, he won’t eat for two-three days. My mother is not like that.
You were so close to a gold medal and then almost immediately announced your retirement. Why does one retire in the best form of her life?
But which athlete reaches an Olympic final and returns empty-handed? And after that, the politics around it… the way the medal was stolen from me… the Indian government, international body, IOC … There is politics everywhere. With what hope will you continue, for who will you continue? The journey is not easy. From outside, it looks different. But I know the battles I have fought with the government. There is a fear of someone mixing something in your drink. Emotionally, I was spent. Three Olympics went by without a medal. I felt I was broken and didn’t have the capacity to take it further. I gave whatever I could, and went beyond my limit too. I have won all other medals. I felt like ‘forget it’, Olympic medal kismat mein nahi hai (not in my destiny).

Will you have a rethink? After reaching your village, you said that you may return to wrestling…

If I feel up to it, I could. It is not a big thing for the body, but who will convince the heart and the mind? If my mind and heart are not able to accept the situation, there is no point. I can compete at another two Olympics, if I want to. If I feel it from inside, I can conquer any obstacle. That is not there today, so I can’t say anything. I was 200 percent sure I would compete at the 2028 Olympics. And 2032, if my body was fine. But life took a 360 degree turn.

Politics is also a big turn for you. A full-time job.

Yes, it is. There is no rest in politics. But the situation we got into nearly two years ago (the protests), we had to do this. Us gandagi mein hamare pair tik chuke the do saal pehle (We have been in a messy battle in the past two years). Either you can drown or swim. If you swim, you can save many people. We have a responsibility and unless you are in power, nothing can be done. You can win a hundred medals at the Olympics, but it is nothing in front of political power. Zero. Notebandi (demonetisation) was declared at night and the whole country shut down. That is what power can do. We don’t have the option of stepping back.

AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal with wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia during a press conference after joining the Congress party at the party headquarters, in New Delhi, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024. Express Photo By Amit Mehra

If you become a political leader, what is the main agenda for you…Women safety plus sports infrastructure?

Let us put the issue of facilities aside for now. What has been happening in sports federations… There are issues. If me, Bajrang (Punia) or Sakshi (Malik) have the power. If something wrong is happening, young athletes will surely call us. We will be in such a position that we will be able to do something to help. That will be a plus point.

People were telling me to start an NGO. I was getting offers (sponsorship) for crores. With money, you can take care of your family. But you can’t help others to the level you want. I don’t want to sit at home after taking money. What will happen to the other girls? Those wrestlers who were part of the protest, the federation does not allow them to compete by creating one hurdle or another. How do I solve this? It can’t happen through money. We need power.

You have to enter the system. Brij Bhushan is surviving because he is powerful politically. So we have to be powerful also. If we don’t have power, do saal ka sangharsh pani mein beh jayega (Two years of struggle will be washed down the drain).

The Haryana government, it was reported, was ready to reward you with as much money as a Olympics silver medallist would get …

The whole country was hoping that I would win gold. If the government had said we will give as much money as a gold medallist, it would have sounded like the promise came from the heart. But this was more of politics … that we will award you as much as a silver medalist and honour you. There was pure emotion in the country, I won’t let anyone play politics with emotions. First I heard there would be a programme (felicitation). I would have returned the cheque. Then they said it would come in the account. But nothing has come. This was just talk because elections were around the corner. I only got Rs 15 lakh for participation.

Lot of political parties had come to the protests, the Left parties, AAP, Congress. Why did you choose Congress?

I had no connection with any politicians, be it Deepender bhaisaab (Hooda), Arvind Kejriwal ji, Mamata (Banerjee) ma’am… In Haryana, Deepender Hooda has always promoted sports. After the Tokyo Olympics, one of the first calls I got was from him. There are just two big parties in the country and in Haryana, BJP and Congress. Agar gandagi mein ghus rahe ho, jinhone aap ka saath diya, unhi ke saath jao (If you are getting into the messy world of politics, go with those who have supported you).

I have met the tallest leaders in Congress. The way they talk to a person, the way they interact is very different. It felt like I was speaking to my mummy or papa. When we were on dharna, there was a lot of respect from the Congress. During the dharna, Priyanka Gandhi sent big tiffin boxes of kheer, top-level sabji (vegetables). Her husband came three to four times during the protests to check if we were ok. All this without any publicity. They did it silently.

How was your interaction with Rahul Gandhi when you went to meet him recently?

He is a very pure person. He is very direct, he is a straight talker.

So are you?

I am a straight talker too. So politics will be difficult for me. At one point I draw my line. You have to be ready to work hard. This is a long journey.

Other sportspeople, during protests and even now, they seem reluctant to come forward to support you? Is it something sportspeople lack?

Yes. To be so greedy or to be scared… I don’t think it is the way to live life. It is not good to be selfish. Sports teaches you to accept defeat and be humble after winning. That is greatness. But you don’t use this greatness in everyday life.

You will play sports for 10 to 20 years, but after that? How will people appreciate you after your days as an active athlete are over? Your entire life, you can’t say I have won a medal, so respect me. You have to give back to the people or do something for others. Otherwise after a point, your respect will remain only within the family. If you want love and respect from the people, you have to do something for them. Those in power are taking advantage of other sportspeople not speaking up. Everyone does not have guts. I can understand junior athletes not having courage. But if you are an Olympian or an Olympic medallist, you should have the confidence and the strength.

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