Vinesh Phogat chooses Rs 4 crore cash over job and land from Haryana government

Vinesh Phogat chooses Rs 4 crore cash over job and land from Haryana government (PTI Photo)

Vinesh Phogat, a former wrestler who is now a Congress MLA, was given three options by the Haryana government under its sports policy but she chose to accept the Rs 4 crore cash prize over two weeks later. The Haryana government agreed to provide Phogat, a Julana MLA, three options under its sports policy during a cabinet meeting on March 25 of this year: a cash award of Rs 4 crore, a "Group A" job, or the allocation of a plot under the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP).

A letter informing the state sports department of Phogat's decision was sent on Tuesday, according to a family member who spoke to The Indian Express on Thursday. The Haryana government's sports policy provides exceptional athletes, including Olympians, with a deputy director-level position in its sports department.

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As a sitting legislator, Phogat will not be able to choose a government position, according to the family member who talked to the national daily. The family member added that the money allows her to buy a land in accordance with her family's needs.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini had stated following the March 25 state cabinet meeting: “Since Vinesh Phogat is now an MLA, the government has decided to ask her which benefits she would like to avail.” According to the state government's sports policy, athletes who win silver medals are eligible for these three advantages, Saini continued.

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A procedural judgment disqualified Phogat from the Olympics in Paris. In a subsequent post on X, Saini stated that he would not permit her honor to be degraded due to the situation at the time.

Vinesh made it to the 50kg final at the Paris Olympics but was disqualified for being overweight. On the day of her fight, Phogat was discovered to be 100 grams overweight. Phogat's request for a joint silver before the Court of Arbitration for Sport was ultimately dismissed.