• Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat has retired from wrestling to contest state elections in Haryana, India.
• Phogat, disqualified from the Paris Games, is now campaigning for the Congress party, focusing on the fight against sexual harassment.
• She and other wrestlers previously protested against a politician charged with sexually harassing women athletes.
• Phogat's transition from sports to politics aims to leverage her influence for social causes, particularly women's rights.

In a surprising turn of events, Indian Olympic wrestling star Vinesh Phogat has traded the wrestling arena for the political battlefield. Phogat, who was disqualified from the Paris Games, has decided to retire from wrestling and contest state elections in her native state of Haryana. The 30-year-old athlete is now campaigning for the main opposition Congress party, receiving blessings from party elders and building on the momentum that she and other wrestlers created last year by protesting against a politician charged with sexually harassing women athletes.

Phogat's disqualification from the Paris Games came as a shock to many. She was disqualified ahead of the women's 50 kg freestyle final for failing to make weight. The disappointment of disqualification, however, did not deter her spirit. Instead, it led her to find a new purpose in politics. She recalls how the support of her community helped her find this new purpose. I used to stay home all day. But hundreds of people visited me every day, asked me to not abandon the spirit of the fighter, she said.

Phogat's Fight for Women's Rights

Phogat's entry into politics is not just a personal journey, but also a fight for a cause. She is determined to fight for her constituency and against sexual harassment of women. I'm here to bring change in all sectors and take care of everyone equally, especially the women in my constituency, Phogat said ahead of one of her door-to-door campaigns. She believes it's crucial that the struggle against sexual harassment, which started two years ago, meets a beautiful and fulfilling ending.

Phogat's fight against sexual harassment is not new. She, along with other wrestlers including Sakshi Malik, an Olympic bronze medalist, were the faces of a months-long protest demanding criminal action against the then-chief of the Wrestling Federation of India, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. A Delhi court this year charged Singh, a former lawmaker from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party, with sexual harassment and criminal intimidation. He denied any wrongdoing.

The Road Ahead for Phogat

Phogat's new career will be challenging. Congress has won the Julana constituency only four times since 1967, although opinion polls predict Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party could lose the Haryana election this time. Results will be out on Oct. 4. Several voters - many of them women - predicted a landslide win for Phogat. If women didn't support women, who would, said a young woman voting for the first time.

Phogat is a celebrity in the Julana constituency of Haryana, and her family of wrestlers were the subject of Bollywood blockbuster Dangal. Her transition from wrestling to politics is a significant one, not just for her but for the entire sporting community. It marks the transition of a renowned sportsperson into a public servant. As an Olympic wrestler with a strong following, she brings her celebrity status and the platform she has built through sports to address issues like women's safety and empowerment in her home state of Haryana. Her move is seen as an attempt to bring change in the political landscape and to leverage her influence for social causes.