Wrestler-turned politician Vinesh Phogat on Friday (April 11) announced that she is planning to build a world-class sports academy for young athletes with the $46 million prize money that she got from the BJP-led Haryana government.
The Congress MLA received this award under Haryana’s premier sports policy, which allows medal-winning athletes to choose between a government job, a land allotment, or a cash reward. The policy grants $69 million for an Olympic gold, $46 million for silver, and $29 million crore for bronze.
Despite being disqualified from the women’s 50kg category due to a slight weight infraction in the Paris Olympics, Phogat was still awarded the cash prize equivalent to a silver medalist.
‘It is time to repay the debt of all this’
On Friday, Vinesh took to her official social media handle on X and announced the decision to build the sports academy. She posted, “When a player’s hard work is recognised, that is the real victory. The public has given me a lot – love, respect, trust, courage and encouragement. Now is the time to repay the debt of all this. As a public representative, and given the struggles I have been a part of, my responsibilities are now not just towards one player but towards thousands of dreams of those who want to build their future through sports in a safe environment. It has always been my dream to provide better facilities and a good sports environment to the next generation of players. Now that time has come. I will always be grateful for the respect and honour given to me by the entire society and the Haryana government for my performance in the Olympics,” the former wrestler wrote.
“This prize money given by the government is not just a reward–it is an opportunity, a means to realise the dream that I have been seeing for years. Therefore, this prize money will be used to establish an international-level sports academy, where young players can take their talent to new heights with the best resources. An academy where young players are not only free from lack of resources, but also get the respect and inspiration that every hardworking player deserves. That is why I will need your support, because this is not just my dream but the dream of all of us and it is our responsibility to fulfil it,” the post added
Vinesh entered the political arena after announcing her retirement from wrestling a short while after she was disqualified from the Paris Olympic Games.
In her 50-kg category weigh-in, she was found overweight by about 100 gm before the final bout. The India wrestler was set to contest for the gold medal in the final against the United States’ Sarah Ann Hildebrandt.