Haryana's young female grapplers pin hope on Phogat for safety, return to akhadas
The Hindu
Young female wrestlers in Haryana support Vinesh Phogat for sports minister to revive akhadas
Several young female wrestlers in Haryana, especially those rethinking their career paths in the wake of accusations of sexual misconduct against the former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief, are rooting for Vinesh Phogat to become the sports minister in the hope that it would facilitate their return to the akhadas.
The wrestling arenas or akhadas were once abuzz with activity with young girls and boys training with a common goal -- medals at big events followed by government jobs.
However, things changed after the January 2023 protests by top wrestlers, including Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia, demanding the resignation of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for allegedly harassing junior women wrestlers.
The akhadas have since witnessed a spurt in dropouts among the young female grapplers.
"I did not come here for five months after the protests began as my parents didn't allow me to continue training," said a young woman wrestler training at the Yudhvir Akhada in Sonipat, the biggest arena in the district for girls.
"I have somehow convinced them to resume training but now my father accompanies me and waits till I am here," said the wrestler requesting anonymity.
"We hope that when Vinesh Phogat gets elected, she is made the sports minister because she understands the challenges that women wrestlers face," she told media.
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