File image of Vinesh Phogat.© PTI
India’s Olympics wrestler-turned-politician Vinesh Phogat has announced that she is expecting the birth of her first child, with husband Somvir Rathee. Vinesh, 30, conveyed the news via her official Instagram account. Having retired from wrestling following heartbreak at the Paris Olympics 2024 – where she was disqualified hours ahead of her women’s freestyle 50kg final bout – Vinesh has since joined politics, contesting in the 2024 Haryana Legislative Assembly election from the Julana constituency. She tied the knot with fellow wrestler Somvir Rathee in 2018.
“Our love story continues with a new chapter,” posted Vinesh on her official Instagram. The post was topped off with the emojis of a foot and a heart, suggesting that the couple are expecting a child.
Fellow professional wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, who were present with Vinesh upon her return to India following the Olympics heartbreak, led the way with their congratulatory replies.
Vinesh Phogat’s Paris Olympics heartbreak
Vinesh Phogat, on the cusp of ultimate glory in the Paris Olympic Games 2024, was disqualified hours before the final. Vinesh, who was competing in the 50 kg freestyle wrestling category, was found to be a mere 100 grams over the 50-kg weight limit for her event. Vinesh usually competed in the 53 kg category but brought her weight down to 50 kg for the Paris Olympics. On Day 2 of her weigh-in, she was found over the limit by a small margin of about 100 grams.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had appealed her disqualification, but it was rejected. A petition for a joint silver medal was also dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Turning to politics, Vinesh Phogat won the Julana constituency in the Haryana elections. She defeated BJP’s Captain Yogesh Bairagi, a former Army officer, and former professional wrestler Kavita Dalal from the Aam Aadmi Party – a member of the opposition bloc INDIA at the centre – with a margin of more than 6,000 seats.
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