After conquering world, Hry’s renowned athletes have set sights on ‘game of thrones’

Chandigarh: It seems switching careers from sports to politics has become a norm in Haryana as a long list of sportspersons-turned-politicians is actively involved in it.

After making a name for themselves in the sporting realm, figures like Yogeshwar Dutt, Sandeep Singh, the Phogat sisters – Babita and Vinesh – Bajrang Punia are here to conquer the shrewdness of politics.

Congress chose Vinesh as the candidate from Julana, while BJP did not express confidence in Babita or Yogeshwar.

Bajrang has been given the responsibility of Kisan Sangh. The Olympics medallist joined Congress along with Vinesh. Congress has appointed him as the chairman of the All India Kisan Congress. It remains to be seen if his career in the political arena will take off, or, will it meet the same fate as many of his predecessors.

The trend of players joining Haryana politics started from the 1970s with boxer Chaudhary Birender Singh.

So far, Birender, Krishnamurthy Hooda, Yogeshwar, Sandeep Singh, Babita, Bijendra Singh, Vinesh along with Bajrang have entered politics.

However, many players also joined politics whose political career did not flourish while some have made it big.

Former cricketer Krishnamurthy’s venture received a jump start, however, he could not sustain it for long and gradually moved away from it. Krishnamurthy, who entered politics through Congress, became MLA and minister, but when Congress was not in power, he was sidelined and is presently with BJP.

Birender stepped out of the boxing ring to enter the political battle in the 1970s. He was elected as an MLA in the Haryana Assembly five times from Uchana (1977-82, 1982-84, 1991-96, 1996-2000 and 2005-09) and served as Cabinet minister thrice.

Birendra became an MP thrice and was also the Minister of Rural Development and Iron Steel at the Centre.

Babita entered the political arena in 2019. BJP fielded her from Dadri, but she could not win. Since then, she has been working for BJP. But this year, the party has fielded former jail superintendent Sunil Sangwan from her constituency.

Yogeshwar quitted wrestling and joined in 2019, when BJP fielded him from Baroda, but Krishna Hooda defeated him in the electoral battle. After Krishna’s demise, in the by-elections of 2020, the party again expressed confidence in Yogeshwar, but he was defeated by Induraj Bhalu of Congress.

In the Lok Sabha elections, he was hopeful that the party would field him from Sonipat, but the party expressed confidence in Rai MLA Mohan Lal Baroli.

Among the remaining 23 BJP seats, the candidate from Baroda constituency is also yet to be announced. Although Yogeshwar staked claim from Gohana, BJP fielded former MP Arvind Sharma from there.

Sandeep’s political journey is a chequered one. In 2019, BJP fielded a hockey star in the election. He was elected as MLA from Pehowa and was made Minister of State for Sports in the Manohar Lal Khattar-led government.

But Sandeep’s political career suffered a major setback as he got embroiled in the molestation controversy of a female coach.

He lost his ministerial post in the Nayab Singh Saini government and in the 2024 Assembly elections, BJP did not repose faith in him again.