Overwhelmed by the grand reception she received on her arrival from the Paris Olympics, <keyword id="6810654" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="wrestler-Vinesh-Phogat" source="Orion">wrestler Vinesh Phogat</keyword> has said that her fight for the betterment of <keyword id="20026753" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-wrestling" source="keywords">Indian wrestling</keyword> would continue and that "<keyword id="2335001" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="truth-will-prevail" source="Orion">truth will prevail</keyword>". Hundreds of supporters had gathered outside the IGI airport in New Delhi on Saturday to give a rousing welcome to Vinesh, who was disqualified for being overweight after reaching the 50kg final at the Olympics. Vinesh's appeal against her disqualification was also rejected by the ad-hoc division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). "Our fight has not ended and the <keyword id="22826082" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fight-will-continue" source="Orion">fight will continue</keyword> and I pray to god that the truth will prevail," said Vinesh while addressing the crowd. Vinesh and fellow Olympians Bajrang Punia and <keyword id="19895495" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sakshi-malik" source="keywords">Sakshi Malik</keyword> have been protesting for more than a year against the <keyword id="19894846" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Wrestling-Federation-of-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Wrestling Federation of India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Wrestling Federation of India">Wrestling Federation of India</keyword> and its former chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for his alleged sexual harassment of women grapplers. Six wrestler, including Vinesh, sat in protest at Jantar Mantar last year demanding action against the former WFI chief before they were evicted as they tried to march towards the new Parliament building. Vinesh also said that the welcome she had received on arrival would give her the courage to pick up the threads and get on with life. "As I got love from my fellow Indians, my village and my family members, I guess I would get some courage to make this wound heal. Maybe, I could return to wrestling," said the 29-year-old Vinesh. "I just want to say that missing the Olympic medal is the biggest wound in my life. I don't know how much time it would take to heal this wound. I don't know if I would pursue wrestling or not but the kind of courage I got today (Saturday), I want to use that in the right direction," she added.

Our fight will continue, truth will prevail: Vinesh Phogat upon her return to India from the Paris Olympics

Celebrated wrestler <keyword id="19895499" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vinesh-Phogat" source="keywords">Vinesh Phogat</keyword> on Saturday received a grand welcome on her return to the country with hundreds of supporters gathering outside the <keyword id="20219207" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IGI-airport" source="keywords">IGI airport</keyword>, showing immense solidarity with her. Stars such as <keyword id="19910804" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bajrang-Punia" source="keywords">Bajrang Punia</keyword>, <keyword id="19895495" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sakshi-Malik" source="keywords">Sakshi Malik</keyword> and panchayat leaders received Vinesh, who endured a heartbreaking exit at the Paris <keyword id="19933819" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Olympics" source="keywords">Olympics</keyword>, where she was disqualified for being overweight on the day of her 50kg final. Heavily garlanded, Vinesh stood in an open Jeep and thanked all the supporters."I thank the entire country," she said, her hands folded in humility. There was a thick security cover as Phogat, who was found 100 grams overweight just before the Olympic finals, landed in the national capital. Vinesh's caravan left for her native village Balali in Haryana, and on the way she met her supporters, positioned at different spots. A group of 50 followed her jeep. They offered prayers at a temple in Delhi's Dwarka before continuing their journey towards Balali. Vinesh had stayed back in Paris after challenging her disqualification in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and demanding a joint silver. The application was dismissed on Wednesday. "She has come back to her country after such a long time. She is very emotional also. She will spend time with family and calm herself. What Vinesh has done for women is praiseworthy. She might not have received a medal, but she is a champion for us," said Sakshi Malik. London Olympics bronze medal-winning shooter Gagan Narang, who was the chief de mission of the Indian contingent in Paris, called her a champion, posting a photo with Phogat at the Paris airport. Both of them were on the same flight to Delhi. "People are waiting to welcome her at our village. People are exciting to meet Vinesh and encourage her," her brother, Harvinder Phogat said. The feisty wrestler, in her first reaction after her disqualification, on Saturday said that under "different circumstances" she could see herself competing till 2032 because she still has a lot of wrestling left in her, but is now unsure about her future as things "might never be same again". Vinesh had announced her retirement from the sport after her disqualification. In an emotional post on social media, Vinesh shared her childhood dream, the hardships she faced after losing her father and also put on record the contribution made by people in her extraordinary journey that ended in heartbreak in Paris.

Vinesh Phogat returns to hero's welcome after Paris heartbreak

The Delhi High Court on Friday restored the mandate of <keyword id="19934453" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ioa" source="keywords">IOA</keyword>'s ad hoc committee for <keyword id="19894846" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="wrestling-federation-of-india" source="keywords">Wrestling Federation of India</keyword> on a plea seeking a stay on the functioning of the <keyword id="19894852" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="WFI" source="keywords">WFI</keyword> in its present form and prevent it from undertaking any activity as a national federation for the sport. While passing the interim order on the plea by celebrated wrestlers <keyword id="19910804" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bajrang-Punia" source="keywords">Bajrang Punia</keyword>, <keyword id="19895499" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vinesh-Phogat" source="keywords">Vinesh Phogat</keyword>, <keyword id="19895495" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sakshi-Malik" source="keywords">Sakshi Malik</keyword> and her husband Satyawart Kadian, Justice Sachin Datta said it was open to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) re-constituting the committee. The wrestlers, who were at the forefront of last year's protest at Jantar Mantar demanding the arrest of outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief <keyword id="19910802" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Brij-Bhushan-Sharan-Singh" source="keywords">Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh</keyword> for alleged sexual harassment of seven women grapplers, had moved the high court earlier this year for setting aside and declaring as illegal the elections held to elect the office bearers of the federation held in December. Sanjay Singh, a Brij Bhushan loyalist, was elected the new WFI chief in the polls held on December 21, 2023. In their plea for interim relief, the petitioners had sought a stay on the functioning of the WFI in its present form and prevent it from undertaking any activity as a national federation for the sport of wrestling. The Centre had suspended the WFI on December 24, 2023, three days after it elected the new office bearers, for allegedly not following the provisions of its own constitution while taking decisions, and requested IOA to constitute an ad-hoc committee to manage and control its affairs. In February, world wrestling body UWW lifted the suspension, leading to IOA also dissolving its ad-hoc committee for wrestling in March. On March 4, the court had issued notice to the central government, WFI and the ad-hoc committee of WFI on the petition by the top grapplers.

Delhi HC restores mandate of IOA ad hoc panel on plea seeking stay on WFI's functioning

New Delhi: <keyword id="20115485" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Harish-Salve" source="keywords">Harish Salve</keyword>, a renowned Indian lawyer, will represent the <keyword id="19896477" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Olympic-Association" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Indian Olympic Association" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Indian Olympic Association">Indian Olympic Association</keyword> (<keyword id="19934453" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IOA" source="keywords">IOA</keyword>) in the case concerning the disqualification of wrestler <keyword id="19895499" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vinesh-Phogat" source="keywords">Vinesh Phogat</keyword> from the <keyword id="20006192" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Paris-Olympics" source="keywords">Paris Olympics</keyword>. Salve's expertise will be crucial in addressing the legal and procedural aspects of the dispute. Salve, former Solicitor General of India and King's Counsel, confirmed to that he has been engaged by the IOA to represent <keyword id="20040071" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="phogat" source="keywords">Phogat</keyword> at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The ad hoc hearing at CAS is scheduled to start on Friday, August 9 at 9:00 AM Paris time (12:30 PM IST). The CAS has established an ad hoc division in Paris, led by President Michael Lenard from the US, to handle cases during the Olympics. This division is located within the Paris judicial court in the 17th arrondissement. Following her disqualification from the Paris Olympics final, Vinesh Phogat announced her retirement from wrestling on Thursday. In an emotional post on X, Phogat expressed her sense of defeat and gratitude, stating, "Maa kushti (wrestling) won against me, I lost. Forgive me, your dream and my courage have been broken. I don't have any more strength now. Goodbye Wrestling 2001-2024. I will always be indebted to you all for forgiveness." <keyword id="19894846" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Wrestling-Federation-of-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Wrestling Federation of India" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Wrestling Federation of India">Wrestling Federation of India</keyword> President, Sanjay Singh, responded by urging Phogat to reconsider her decision. Speaking to ANI, Singh emphasized that Phogat's announcement seemed hasty and suggested that she should discuss her retirement with her family, the Federation, and other sports officials upon returning to India. He highlighted her significant contributions and performance in the sport, indicating that it would be premature to make such a decision in the heat of the moment.

India's top lawyer Harish Salve to represent IOA in Vinesh Phogat's CAS hearing

The <keyword id="19894846" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Wrestling-Federation-of-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Wrestling Federation of India" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Wrestling Federation of India">Wrestling Federation of India</keyword> (<keyword id="19894852" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="wfi" source="keywords">WFI</keyword>) on Friday said it will challenge the Delhi <keyword id="20030450" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="High-Court-order" source="keywords">High Court order</keyword> that restored the mandate of <keyword id="22809836" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IOAs-ad-hoc-committee" source="keywords">IOA's ad-hoc committee</keyword> to manage the affairs of the sports body, saying the "interference" could jeopardize the participation of <keyword id="19933029" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-wrestlers" source="keywords">Indian wrestlers</keyword> at the upcoming <keyword id="20200346" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Championships" source="keywords">World Championships</keyword>. The latest order came on a plea seeking a stay on the functioning of the WFI and prevent it from undertaking any activity as a national federation for the sport. Justice Sachin Datta while passing the interim order on the plea by wrestlers <keyword id="19910804" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bajrang-Punia" source="keywords">Bajrang Punia</keyword>, <keyword id="19895499" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vinesh-Phogat" source="keywords">Vinesh Phogat</keyword>, <keyword id="19895495" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sakshi-Malik" source="keywords">Sakshi Malik</keyword> and her husband Satyawart Kadian, said it was open to the <keyword id="19896477" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Olympic-Association" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Indian Olympic Association" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Indian Olympic Association">Indian Olympic Association</keyword> (IOA) re-constituting the committee which was earlier led by Bhupender Singh Bajwa. The IOA had dissolved the ad-hoc panel on April 4 while UWW had lifted its suspension on February 13 this year after WFI conducted its elections. "We are going to take it to double bench. The IOA had dissolved the ad-hoc panel . We will also approach world governing body UWW and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). They had warned that outside interference may impact out athletes," WFI President Sanjay Singh told PTI. "Two World Championships are approaching. Indian wrestlers' participation could be blocked," he feared. The U-17 World championship is set to be held in Amman, Jordan from August 19-25 while the U-20 World championship is scheduled in Pontevedra, Spain from September 2-8. UWW President in his April 25 letter to WFI President had made it clear that ad-hoc panel running the show was not acceptable to them. "In case any decision or order should be made against your federation, and a third party be designated to run the daily affairs of our sport in India in violation of the UWW Statutes, UWW would have no other option than to re-impose a temporary suspension of your federation until further notice, and which, this time, could maybe include your athletes,"UWW president Lalovic wrote. The Centre had suspended the WFI on December 24, 2023, three days after it elected the new office bearers, for allegedly not following the provisions of its own constitution while taking decisions, and requested IOA to constitute an ad-hoc committee to manage its affairs. On March 4, the court had issued notice to the central government, WFI and the ad-hoc committee on the petition filed by the top grapplers.

WFI to challenge High Court order, says Indian wrestlers' participation in upcoming Worlds in danger

Months before her long-cherished dream of winning an Olympic medal turned into reality, <keyword id="19895499" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vinesh-Phogat" source="keywords">Vinesh Phogat</keyword> was furious, but unwavering in the face of intimidation, police detention, backlash from a protest she was spearheading, and a smear campaign that sought to portray her in a negative light. Cut to today, when Vinesh got the better of Cuba's <keyword id="22693030" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="yusneylis-guzman" source="keywords">Yusneylis Guzman</keyword> Lopez in Olympic semi-finals and secured a medal for the country, becoming the first Indian woman <keyword id="19914933" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="wrestler" source="keywords">wrestler</keyword> to reach the final at the ongoing <keyword id="4833237" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Paris-Olympics" source="Orion">Paris Olympics</keyword> 2024. Instead of sinking into a miasma of despair, she unloaded on her detractors a torrent of angry responses, something that proved to be a blessing in disguise, as she became India's first woman wrestler to have this achievement to her name. <h2>No dearth of challenges </h2>As she trained her sights on booking a ticket to the <keyword id="19916613" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Paris" source="keywords">Paris</keyword> <keyword id="19933819" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Olympics" source="keywords">Olympics</keyword>, a new set of challenges stared her in the eye, as if telling her to leave the scene for good. She had to drop down to 50kg, after competing in 53kg for more than five years. There were multiple issues with her trial bouts ahead the Olympic qualifiers, and then there was also the small matter of going through a knee surgery, years after an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear at the 2016 Rio Olympics nearly ended her career. For the feisty wrestler from Haryana whose road to the French capital was always riddled with hurdles, a lot was at stake. Mere mortals would have caved in, but she didn't. Instead, she switched to top gear. It was a reflection of all the things that went into the making of Vinesh Phogat. Finally, her extraordinary journey, from the street protests of Delhi to the podium in Paris, culminated in a historic medal, the colour of which will be known on Wednesday. For now, she has guaranteed herself a silver. It's a perfect riposte to her detractors in the national federation, who criticised her for her leading role in the prolonged protest against former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is accused of intimidation and sexual harassment. The police got involved, the courts got involved, and the government too stepped in, as the residents of the national capital got impatient with the protests that hindered vehicular movements in the heart of Delhi. Around that time, her critics were convinced that warped ideas were bubbling in her head, but Vinesh, who is days away from turning 30, grew even more determined to carry on the fight, thanks to her steely resolve and an unquenchable confidence in her ability. These attributes went a long way in helping her win a medal in the world's biggest sporting spectacle, which, in a way, completed her decorated career. It started with the trials where she forced the officials to let her compete in two weight categories and then went on to seal selection in 50kg. Weeks later, she secured Olympic qualification in the new division, and in between also battled the spread of misinformation that she had tried to evade a dope test. Considering the journey she has had to undertake in the recent past, on her way to what she has achieved just now, just saying she is synonymous with courage and determination would not do justice. To those who have been documenting her life and career, Vinesh Phogat deserves more than just a bunch of superlatives. In recent years Phogat was fighting on two fronts: on the mat and off it. Her battles off the mat were in fact, more challenging than the ones she grew up handling in her village in Balali. But, in a way, those off-field battles prepared her better to tackle her rivals in the competition. Once in Paris, as luck would have it, she was pitted against Japanese wrestler <keyword id="22687412" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="yui-susaki" source="keywords">Yui Susaki</keyword> who had never lost a bout in her international career, and is a four-time world Olympic champion. But Vinesh, drawing from her struggles off the mat and using a perfect game plan, stunned the reigning Olympic champion in one of wrestling's biggest upsets. Having tackled her toughest opponent in the competition, the Indian then beat eighth seed Oksana Livach of Ukraine to secure a berth in the semi-finals of the women's 50kg freestyle event. In her moment of triumph, after everything she had faced, she lay on the mat, tears of joy rolling down her face. But the job was not complete. From battling opposition from the villagers who considered wrestling to be a man's sport, losing her father at the age of just nine, to taking on powerful federation officials, Vinesh has faced innumerable hardships on her way to realising her dreams. "Believe and you can fly," said wrestling's world body while congratulating her on social media. She certainly is.

Vinesh Phogat makes it to Olympic Finals in wrestling, becomes first Indian to achieve the feat

New Delhi: Senior AAP leader <keyword id="19909124" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Manish-Sisodia" source="keywords">Manish Sisodia</keyword> on Saturday called upon party workers and people to fight against the "dictatorship" in the country, a day after he was released from jail in the Delhi excise policy case. Targeting the BJP, he also said these people are not more powerful than the Constitution. Every person has to fight against this "dictatorship" which is not just putting leaders in jail but also harassing citizens, Sisodia said while addressing <keyword id="19935664" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aam-Aadmi-Party" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Aam Aadmi Party" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Aam Aadmi Party">Aam Aadmi Party</keyword> (AAP) workers at its headquarters here. He claimed that while in jail, he was not worried about getting bail but was pained seeing businessmen being put in prison in "fake cases just because they did not donate money to the BJP". The <keyword id="19895345" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Supreme-Court" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Supreme Court" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Supreme Court">Supreme Court</keyword> on Friday gave Sisodia bail in corruption and money laundering cases linked to the alleged excise policy "scam" and said his long incarceration of 17 months without trial had deprived him of the right to speedy justice. On AAP supremo and Delhi Chief Minister <keyword id="19901384" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arvind-Kejriwal" source="keywords">Arvind Kejriwal</keyword>, who is also in jail in the case, Sisodia said he is the symbol of honesty in the country. Conspiracies are being hatched to defame Kejriwal's work, he said and added that if opposition leaders unite against the "dictatorship", Kejriwal will come out of jail in 24 hours. Sisodia told AAP workers that "we are just horses of a chariot but our real 'saarthi' (charioteer) is in jail, he will come out soon". On his bail verdict, Sisodia said the Supreme Court used the power of the Constitution to "trample dictatorship" yesterday. He said he was hoping to get justice in seven-to-eight months but it took 17 months. But at the end truth triumphed, Sisodia said. Seeking to target the BJP over the Vinesh Phogat issue, Sisodia, without taking the wrestler's name, said she protested against its leader and people saw what happened at the Olympics. Phogat, who was disqualified from the Paris Olympics for being found 100 grams overweight ahead of her women's 50kg final, was at the forefront of a lengthy protest alleging government inaction against former Wrestling Federation of India head Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was accused of sexual harassment by women wrestlers.

People have to fight against dictatorship in country: AAP leader Manish Sisodia

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/54959124.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /> 
 
After a six-year-long wait since winning India’s first gold medal in women’s wrestling in the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=commonwealth+games&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Commonwealth Games</a>, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=haryana+cabinet&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Haryana cabinet</a> finally approved the appointment of wrestler <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=geeta+phogat&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Geeta Phogat</a> as a Deputy Superintendent of Police in the state police this Tuesday. 
 
The Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Manohar+Lal+Khattar+&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Manohar Lal Khattar </a>in <keyword id="41646" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Haryana">Haryana</keyword>, approved a Home Department proposal in this regard. 
 
"She is a graduate and a sportsperson of international repute. She is also a gold medallist in wrestling at the 19th Commonwealth Games-2010 held in Delhi," a state government spokesperson said. 
 
Phogat, who was also the first Indian woman wrestler to have qualified for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=london+olympics&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">London Olympics</a> in 2012, was selected for appointment as Inspector in Haryana Police under sports quota that year. In March, this year, she moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court for promotion to a post on par with her achievements. The High Court then directed the Haryana government to decide on her representation within two months. 
 
But the wait for the reward made the star wrestler frustrated over the years. "Humein aadat ho gayi thi wait karne ki. Sab khush hain par jitni khushi honi chahiye thi, utni nahin hai (We got used to waiting. Everyone is happy but we are not as happy as we should have been)," Geeta had told the Indian Express. 
 
"While other players were appointed (as DSP) on winning gold in the same event, we were denied this for six long years." Geeta is the daughter of <keyword id="1940360" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mahavir-Singh-Phogat">Mahavir Singh Phogat</keyword> and her sisters include <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=rio+olympics&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Rio 2016 Olympics</a> participants <keyword id="2449644" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vinesh-Phogat">Vinesh Phogat</keyword> and Babita Kumari.

Geeta Phogat, India's first female Olympic wrestler finally appointed DSP in Haryana Police

International wrestler <keyword id="6426260" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="babita-phogat">Babita Phogat</keyword>, who unsuccessfully contested the 2019 assembly polls, on Wednesday resigned as the Deputy Director in <keyword id="41646" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Haryana">Haryana</keyword>'s Sports Department. She is likely to contest the bypoll in the state as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate. "I am going to take an active part in politics and campaign in the Baroda assembly bypoll (in the state), besides the Assembly elections in Bihar," she told the media after resignation. She and Kabaddi player Kavita Devi were appointed deputy directors in the sports department on July 30. Winner of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Babita had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 assembly poll from Dadri. Earlier, she had resigned from the post of police sub-inspector on August 13, 2019, a day after joining the BJP with her father Mahavir Singh Phogat, a Droncahraya award winner. Mahavir, whose character was played by Aamir Khan in Hindi film 'Dangal', and his daughters -- Olympian and two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist Babita and international wrestler Sangeeta Phogat -- were also showcased. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/three-new-natural-gas-marketing-reforms-introduced-by-union-cabinet-to-reduce-dependence-on-imports/articleshow/78532983.cms">Three new natural gas marketing reforms introduced by Union Cabinet to reduce dependence on imports</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/fall-in-containment-zones-count-in-delhi-after-steady-rise-since-august-last-week/articleshow/78533145.cms">Fall in containment zones count in Delhi after steady rise since August last week</a>

Wrestler Babita Phogat quits government job to join politics

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/56223105.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /> 
 While the <keyword id="29554" type="SPORT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Wrestling">wrestling</keyword> biopic <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/aamir-khans-dangal-opens-to-packed-houses-earns-over-rs-30-crores-on-day-1/articleshow/56152363.cms">Dangal </a>is breaking box-office records and making people remember the lengths <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/aamir-khans-dangal-wrestles-its-way-to-the-box-office-earns-rs-106-95-crores-in-three-days/articleshow/56182302.cms">Mahavir Singh Phogat</a> went to ensure that his daughters Geeta and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/3rd-of-its-day-1-box-office-collections-from-bookmyshow/articleshow/56155827.cms">Babita Phogat </a>bring laurels to the country, the real <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/bi-year-ender-here-are-2016s-top-grossing-bollywood-movies/articleshow/56116526.cms">Dangal</a> sisters just did an akhada photoshoot that blew our minds away! 
 Recently, photographer Deepak Ansuia did a photoshoot with the two Phogat sisters at <keyword id="4005755" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="shyam-lal-akhada">Shyam Lal Akhada</keyword> in New Delhi for Harper's Bazaar Bride and the results are stunning, to say the least! 
 
The duo wore ethnic outfits and finished the look off with a pair of sunglasses and odes of attitude. We can't help but love it! 
 
Here are the pictures: 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/56214128.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /> 
 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/56214308.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /> 
 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/56214314.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /> 
 
 
Geeta also posed with her husband and wrestler Pawan Kumar. Don't they make such a happy couple? 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/56214335.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" />

The real Geeta and Babita Phogat just did an akhada photoshoot and they look absolutely beautiful

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/53839190.cms" />Olympic medallist <keyword id="6356003" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sakshi-Malik">Sakshi Malik</keyword> received a heart warming reception in New Delhi and ministers from the Bharatiya Janata Party in Haryana thronged the IGI airport to receive the wrestler who won a bronze medal at Rio. 
 
23-year-old Malik will receive rousing welcome in her village Mokhra Khas in Rohtak district in Haryana. 
 
"It was my dream and hard work of years. Since long I had thought of going to the Olympics to win a medal for the country. It finally happened in Rio," said Sakshi. 
 She will be felicitated by Haryana Chief Minister <keyword id="2458540" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Manohar-Lal-Khattar">Manohar Lal Khattar</keyword> during a felicitation ceremony and will be honoured with a cash award of Rs 2.5 crore. 
 Malik thanked wrestlers <keyword id="390394" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Geeta-Phogat">Geeta Phogat</keyword>, <keyword id="10633" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sushil-Kumar">Sushil Kumar</keyword> and <keyword id="157783" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Yogeshwar-Dutt">Yogeshwar Dutt</keyword> for their contribution to her success. 
 
"It was inspiring when Geeta Phogat qualified for wrestling as she was the first Indian woman to qualify for Olympics. It lit a hope that if one weight category can qualify, there can be more. She also has a hand in my victory. A lot of people including Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt have played big role in my victory," she said. 
 
Malik will also stop at few villages in Rohtak district including Ismaila village where she will meet her maternal uncle. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

Sakshi Malik gets rousing welcome, says she always wanted win an Olympic medal for India

<ul><li>India’s home minister <keyword id="6355521" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="amit-shah" source="Orion">Amit Shah</keyword> is known to have met the <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/brij-bhushan-sharan-singh-sexual-assault-charges-bajrang-punia-wrestlers-demanding-probe-against-brij-bhushan-meet-amit-shah-4094411">wrestlers on late Saturday</a>. </li><li>India’s top wrestling athletes have been protesting in New Delhi for the last few months, demanding action against <keyword id="603569" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="brij-bhushan-sharan-singh" source="Orion">Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh</keyword> over sexual misconduct. </li><li>Singh is the president of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and a BJP MP. </li></ul>Three days after speaking to Amit Shah, wrestler <keyword id="6356003" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sakshi-malik" source="Orion">Sakshi Malik</keyword> has rejoined her posting in Northern Railway on Monday. However, Malik<a href="https://twitter.com/SakshiMalik"> said in a tweet that</a> she has not withdrawn from the ongoing wrestlers’ protest in New Delhi, refuting media reports. "No this is all rumours we did not call off the protest. I came to the office to finish some pending work for a day or two and we are making our strategy on what to do next, how to continue the protest in a non-violent way," Malik told ANI. Malik is an Olympics Bronze medalist, and is one of the 30 wrestlers protesting since January this year, demanding action against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the president of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). Along with Malik, top wrestlers like Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat had been on protest since the beginning of this year in order to press for the removal and arrest of the WFI chief. Complainants have accused Singh, who is also a BJP MP, of sexual harassment and intimidation. India’s home minister Amit Shah is known to have met the <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/brij-bhushan-sharan-singh-sexual-assault-charges-bajrang-punia-wrestlers-demanding-probe-against-brij-bhushan-meet-amit-shah-4094411">wrestlers on late Saturday</a>. The Delhi police registered 10 complaints and two FIRs against WFI chief Singh. One of them was on the basis of a complaint from the father of a minor wrestler invoking the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act that entails a prison term of up to seven years on conviction. Singh has however said that he will "hang himself" if even one accusation against him is true. "I will hang myself even if one allegation against me turns out to be true. I stand by my statement," Bhushan told the media in Gonda. (With ANI inputs)

Sakshi Malik refutes reports she has withdrawn from wrestlers’ protest

<ul><li>Sony Sports has played a key role in bringing non-cricket sports to India.</li><li>This year, Sony Sports is the official broadcaster of the once-in-a-four-year global sports event, Tokyo Olympics.</li><li>Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer, Distribution and Head – Sports Business, Sony Pictures Networks India tells us how the broadcaster is trying to popularize other sports in India, its plans to immerse consumers with innovative marketing and more.</li></ul>With the lockdown being enforced, subsequent stoppage of play on the field and IPL getting postponed, advertisers have been starved of a good sporting tournament. After the pandemic, many sports properties have either been cancelled or postponed, directly affecting India’s ad revenue and sponsorship pie. While India’s most worshipped sport, cricket, still dominates viewership and sponsorship, <keyword id="3132005" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sony-Pictures-Network">Sony Pictures Network</keyword> (SNP) has given its fans more choices between sporting events and SonyLiv has given them options in terms of what, when and how much to watch, leading to a rise in demand for subscription viewing in live sports. After a long, dry spell, millions of Indians are expected to tune into Tokyo Olympics this year. Sponsors and brands have also started seeing the Olympics as the one occasion to capitalise on the media and consumer attention. As a result, Sony Sports has seen an uptick in demand from sponsors and advertisers across categories for the summer games. To help its advertisers get the best bang for their buck, SPN launched an ‘innovative’ advertising format ‘Split-screen ads,’ which has <a href="https://twitter.com/Archit_0106/status/1418542834395729923">gained </a><a href="https://twitter.com/PrashantMUFC/status/1420988968238161920">mixed </a><a href="https://twitter.com/LifeIsAnElation/status/1418552243893116935">reviews </a>on social media. We caught up with Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer, Distribution and Head – Sports Business, Sony Pictures Networks India to further understand what kind of response the broadcaster and streaming player has seen from advertisers and sponsors, how it is trying to increase non-sporting events’ viewership in india <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. This year, brands across categories have started to roll out campaigns celebrating the inspirational journey of athletes. This wasn't the case a few years ago. More and more advertisers are exploring international sports that represent India. Are advertisers open to exploring sports beyond cricket now?" text="Q. This year, brands across categories have started to roll out campaigns celebrating the inspirational journey of athletes. This wasn't the case a few years ago. More and more advertisers are exploring international sports that represent India. Are advertisers open to exploring sports beyond cricket now?">Q. This year, brands across categories have started to roll out campaigns celebrating the inspirational journey of athletes. This wasn't the case a few years ago. More and more advertisers are exploring international sports that represent India. Are advertisers open to exploring sports beyond cricket now?</cmsannotation> Indians have always been extremely supportive of the Indian athletes when they compete at a global stage. Their performances are celebrated as it is a huge thing to even get to participate, let alone winning a medal at Olympics. More and more business houses/organizations/brands have started promoting various athletes and or Indian contingent. Sports in India is growing dramatically as an entertainment option beyond just cricket. This year. Sony Sports has embarked on a mission to popularize the athletes participating in the <keyword id="7932992" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="olympic-games-tokyo-2020">Olympic Games Tokyo 2020</keyword> and to make them household names. Sony Sports launched the grandest ever campaign in the history of Indian Olympics, Hum Honge Kamyab to galvanize the whole nation to cheer for the India contingent. From the honorable Prime minister of India himself to the sports minister as well as industrialists, sports personalities, philanthropists, Bollywood Superstars, Youtube influencers joined us in our endeavor. Sony Sports has collaborated with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports as well as eminent personalities and joining the brigade are Union Minister for I&amp;B and Youth Affairs &amp; Sports, Shri Anurag Thakur, General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff and Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee and Mr. N.P. Singh, MD &amp; CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India, along with Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Anupam Kher, Sajjan Jindal, Sudha Murty, Nita Ambani, Gautam Adani, Rana Daggubati, Yuvraj Singh, Anjali Bhagwat, Parth Jindal, Boman Irani, Farhan Akhtar, Sonakshi Sinha, Johnny Lever, Ali Fazal, Adille Sumariwala, Arshad Warsi, Pullela Gopichand, Vijender Singh, Anjali Bhagwat, Harsha Bhogle, Shankar Mahadevan, Anurag Basu, and many more to catalyze the Olympic momentum in the nation for the landmark event. This was unprecedented and Sony Sports’ efforts have pumped up the volume of Olympics in India and the #Olympicsjosh decibels have gone up to another level. <div type="Youtube" id="-bnwo0ezgQE" title="Watch PV Sindhu, Manu Bhaker, Mary Kom, Deepak Kumar, Hockey (M) &amp; others LIVE, TOM, July 25 on Sony" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-bnwo0ezgQE/mqdefault.jpg"></div> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. Can you tell us what kind of interest you have seen from advertisers and brands?" text="Q. Can you tell us what kind of interest you have seen from advertisers and brands?">Q. Can you tell us what kind of interest you have seen from advertisers and brands?</cmsannotation> We have received a phenomenal response from advertisers and we have got sponsors on board across categories like beverages, FMCG, education, automobiles, banking, finance, gaming, sports foundations amongst others. The sponsors are Coca-Cola India Pvt. Ltd., LIC, JSW, MPL, Hero MotoCorp, Amul, Reserve Bank of India, AMFI and other advertisers include Visa, Byju’s, Adani Group, Herbalife Nutrition &amp; Lenovo and more. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. This once-in-a-four-year sports event attracts eyeballs from across the world hosting sports such as shooting, wrestling, long jump, and hockey. Which sport do you think will perform the best in India in terms of viewership?" text="Q. This once-in-a-four-year sports event attracts eyeballs from across the world hosting sports such as shooting, wrestling, long jump, and hockey. Which sport do you think will perform the best in India in terms of viewership?">Q. This once-in-a-four-year sports event attracts eyeballs from across the world hosting sports such as shooting, wrestling, long jump, and hockey. Which sport do you think will perform the best in India in terms of viewership?</cmsannotation> We expect great Sports like Wrestling, Shooting, Archery and Hockey, which have also done extremely well on TV in the past, due to the medal winning performances by Indian Athletes. Additionally, there has been high interest to watch Athletics and Gymnastics, owing to the visually engaging nature of the sports. During the 2016 Rio Olympics, Badminton had the highest viewership owing to PV Sindhu winning a silver medal. The final match between PV Sindhu and Carolina Marin was watched by 42 million viewers across the country. This year, we have our largest contingent ever of 127 athletes travelling to Tokyo and the whole nation will want to support and watch our athletes in the various sports disciplines they are competing in like boxing, wrestling, tennis, athletics, badminton, hockey, shooting, archery, weightlifting, Equestrian, Table tennis and more. Some of the athletes that the audiences are already looking out for are Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary in shooting, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia in wrestling, Amit Panghal and Mary Kom in boxing, Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das, PV Sindu in badminton and more. Also, for the first time, we will see participation in fencing with Bhavani Devi and Fouaad Mirza making it to the equestrian event which will also attract audiences. Additionally, to reach out to a wider audience and engage viewers across India, Sony Sports will have a Live wraparound studio show called SPORTS EXTRAAA with a distinguished panel that comprising former Olympians and legendary Indian athletes like Vijender Singh, Gagan Narang, Karnam Malleswari, Anjali Bhagwat, Anju Bobby George, Sakshi Malik, Viren Rasquinha, Somdev Devvarman, Trupti Murgunde, Rahul Banerjee, Kripa Shankar and Satish Shivalingam. We will also have the world-renowned Sprinter and four-time Olympic medalist, Yohan Blake, considered to be the second fastest man after Usain Bolt as a marquee expert on the show. The comprehensive coverage for the global event will be broadcast LIVE in four languages: SONY TEN 2 and SONY SIX channels in English, SONY TEN 3 channels in Hindi and in Tamil &amp; Telugu on the newly launched SONY TEN 4 channels. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. How do brands get to benefit from advertising on Olympics through Sony this year? What is your advice to brands who are advertising? How can they get the best bang for their buck?" text="Q. How do brands get to benefit from advertising on Olympics through Sony this year? What is your advice to brands who are advertising? How can they get the best bang for their buck?">Q. How do brands get to benefit from advertising on Olympics through Sony this year? What is your advice to brands who are advertising? How can they get the best bang for their buck?</cmsannotation> The Olympic Games is an extremely premium global sporting event, the greatest show on earth with 200+ countries, 11000+ athletes across 339 events in 33 different sports, encompassing a total of 50 disciplines. As I mentioned earlier, this year, we have rolled out the grandest campaign for this showcase event involving 30+ luminaries across the country. The sheer association to the Olympics for any brand will create and drive great brand perception and awareness value. We have offered value-based propositions to our clients and have ensured that we amplify their associations with athletes in the Indian contingent which they might be sponsoring. The brands have also been given the opportunity to ride on the back of the amazing build- up programming which we have locally produced adding to the brands association and visibility. Series like “Torch bearers” are resonating well with our audiences. We are also excited to offer a new breakthrough innovation “Split Screen” advertisement opportunity during the live broadcast. This will help the brands break away from the clutter and amplifies the brand’s visibility manifold without intruding into the viewing experiences of our audiences. This new technology is a game changer and will surely get the best ROI for our key sponsors. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. How do you think sports marketing has changed in India in the last few years? Any interesting trends that you are expecting to see as we move forward?" text="Q. How do you think sports marketing has changed in India in the last few years? Any interesting trends that you are expecting to see as we move forward?">Q. How do you think sports marketing has changed in India in the last few years? Any interesting trends that you are expecting to see as we move forward?</cmsannotation> While Indian Cricket will dominate viewership and revenues, Sony Sports has been consistently making efforts to massify and popularize other sports. Sony Sports is a global multi-sporting arena and sports marketing here, is not only talks to the purists but also focuses on attracting fence-sitters and newer audiences to join the Sony Sports community. This has paid off and every year our viewership for sports like WWE, UFC, football properties like UEFA Champions League and non-India cricket is steadily growing. Even the recently concluded UEFA EURO 2020 on our sports channels has seen massive growth compared to the last edition in 2016 by almost 70% Sports as an entertainment quotient is only going to grow.

Sony Sports has embarked on a mission to popularize the athletes participating in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and to make them household names: Rajesh Kaul of SPN

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/39354053.cms" /> It is never too late to rise and shine. As if to salvage India’s image that was lost when the country hosted the <keyword id="6354367" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Commonwealth-Games">Commonwealth Games</keyword> in 2010 in New Delhi, Indian sportspersons continue to shine in the medal race at the C’wealth Games being held in <keyword id="69738" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Glasgow">Glasgow</keyword> this year. 
 Some of the media favourites like <keyword id="28211" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Abhinav-Bindra">Abhinav Bindra</keyword>, <keyword id="10633" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sushil-Kumar">Sushil Kumar</keyword> and <keyword id="20664" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="gagan-narang">Gagan Narang</keyword> have had a great showing. But Indians are a tad disappointed as shuttler Saina Nehwal, the country’s biggest medal hope, pulled out of the Games owing to fitness issues. 
 
The 215-strong Indian contingent participating in the Commonwealth Games 2014 has staged some excellent performances this year. Incidentally, controversies marred the last edition of the Games hosted by India four years ago and clearly took some shine off the excellent showing of Indian sports stars at that time. 
 
But this time around, hopes were as strong as the performances put up by Indians. Among the 6,500 sports persons representing 71 nations across 17 sports, India is sitting snug at the sixth spot. Although this is a ‘fall’ of sorts from the earlier ranking, India may very well finish with third or fourth highest medal tally. 
 
Some of the finest stories of non-celebrities evolving into heroes, based on their dedication, focus, hard work and commitment (laced with the smallest share of luck), are being written here. For instance, there is weightlifter Satish Kumar Sivalingam whom we hardly know. He hails from a poor family in Tamil Nadu, but has now secured his place in the hearts of millions by making his country proud. Sivalingam, a humble Railways employee, won the gold in men’s weightlifting 77kg category. 
 
However, India’s ace sharpshooters mostly called the shots in the medal hunt. Apart from Bindra winning the gold in men’s 10m air rifle and Narang settling for the silver medal in 50m rifle prone event, Jitu Rai bagged the gold medal in men’s 50m while Gurpal Singh followed him with the silver. 
 
Shooters and wrestlers came up with a stunning show at the Games, winning majority of the gold medals in India’s medal haul. Having won 41 medals in all, India has so far got 10 gold medals, 19 silvers and 12 bronzes. 
 
Wrestler Sushil Kumar, who carried the weight of India’s aspirations, will also return home to a hero’s welcome. He led the charge of Indian wrestlers who won three of the five gold medals up for grabs at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, the venue for wrestling competitions. 
 
Interestingly, the ongoing Commonwealth Games is his first major international event after his favourite 66kg category was removed and he had to pile up 9kg to qualify for the new weight category. In the Glasgow Games, four sports categories have been removed, reducing the mega event to only 17 categories. 
 
Prior to Sushil Kumar, Amit Kumar and Vinesh Phogat made India proud with excellent performance in their respective categories. Amit won gold in men’s freestyle 57kg by beating Nigerian Ebikweminomo Welson, teenager Vinesh held the country’s flag high by clinching an 11-8 victory against England’s Yana Rattigan in the women’s freestyle 48kg wrestling. 
 
The medal haul continued with marksmen Sanjeev Rajput and Narang winning medals (silver and bronze, respectively, in men’s 50m rifle 3 position) for the country. Lajja Goswami also won the bronze in women’s 50m rifle 3 position category. 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/39354135.cms" />

You Searched For "Vinesh Phogat in New Delhi" and got 14 results

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