Govt knocks out stadium plan for Phogats’ village

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, February 6

The state government has shelved its plan to build a sports stadium with an air-conditioned wrestling hall in Balali village of Charkhi Dadri district.

Balali is the native village of famed wrestling coach Mahavir Phogat, his daughters Geeta and Babita and niece Vinesh. Aamir Khan-starrer ‘Dangal’ was based on the life of Phogat and his daughters.

The village is home to six international players. It is the home of former Indian volleyball player and Arjuna awardee Sanjay Phogat and boxer Rajkumar Sangwan.

With the village emerging as a hub of sports, especially in women’s wrestling, the state government had announced a stadium in the village three years ago.

Sources said the project was approved on September 18, 2016, and the panchayat passed a resolution to give 10 acres of panchayat land to the district administration.

The Panchayat Department had sanctioned a grant of Rs1.8 crore and some amount was transferred to the Sports Department to start the construction.

The decision to scrap the project evoked a strong protest from villagers and political leaders from the region. Phogat said the government’s decision would adversely affect promotion of sports in the region.

“I have been running the academy in the absence of facilities. The stadium would have played a role in grooming talent in various disciplines. The scrapping of the project comes as a disappointment for sports lovers and players,” he said.

BJP MLA from Badhra Sukhwinder Mandi said he would take up the matter with the Chief Minister for the implementation of the project.

A Dronacharya awardee, Phogat had recently joined the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) as the state president of its sports wing. He and his daughters Geeta and Babita had campaigned for Digvijay Chautala in the recent Jind byelection.