'Dangal' girl Babita Phogat, kabaddi player Kavita appointed sports dy directors
Pradeep Sharma
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, July 30
The BJP-JJP Government has appointed ‘Dangal’ girl and BJP leader Babita Phogat and professional kabaddi player Kavita Devi as deputy directors in the Sports and Youth Affairs Department.
The sportswomen, who had applied to the state government for the post in late 2018, have been appointed under the Haryana Outstanding Sportspersons (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2018, an order issued by Principal Secretary, Sports and Youth Affairs stated.
The daughter of ‘Dangal’ fame wrestling coach Mahavir Phogat and two-time Commonwealth gold medallist, Babita worked as Sub-Inspector in the Haryana Police before putting in her papers to join the BJP to contest the 2019 Assembly polls from the Dadri constituency.
However, her maiden entry into electoral politics came a cropper with the international wrestler finishing a miserable third in the contest, which was won by the BJP rebel Sombir Sangwan.
Last year, Babita had dragged the Haryana Government to the Punjab and Haryana High Court claiming that she be promoted to the post of DSP like her sister Geeta Phogat, also a Commonwealth gold medallist. However, she later withdrew her petition and ultimately resigned from service to enter politics.
Other appointee Kavita was a member of the Indian team that won gold medal in 2014 in the Incheon Asian Games.