Haryana government has decided to appoint Olympian wrestler Babita Phogat and kabaddi player Kumari Kavita Devi as deputy directors (sports) under the outstanding sportspersons category.

Kavita, who hails from Padana village of Jind district, was a part of the Indian women kabaddi team that won gold in the 2014 Asian Games.

The achievements of Olympian wrestler Babita’s family, based at Balali village of Charkhi Dadri district, had inspired Bollywood film ‘Dangal’.

According to the July 29 appointment letters principal secretary (sports and youth affairs) has issued to Babita and Kavita, chief secretary had cleared their appointment on July 28.

“…you are offered a temporary appointment on regular basis as Deputy Director (Sports) Group-A post in the department of sports and youth affairs under the Haryana Outstanding Sportspersons (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2018…,” reads the three-page identical appointment letters the state government has issued separately to Babita and Kavita.

Babita has won three successive Commonwealth Games medals, including gold in 2014 and silver each in 2010 and 2018. She won a bronze medal in the World Championship held in 2012 and represented the country in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Babita was earlier appointed as a Haryana Police inspector under the sports quota.

Ahead of Haryana assembly elections in October 2019, the Dangal girl, as Babita is referred to, along with her father Mahavir Phogat, had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. The BJP had fielded her from Dadri segment. She had, however, finished third with 24,786 votes.

Appointments subject to conditions

Both these appointments will be subject to various conditions as per the provisions of rules.

The duo will be ‘ineligible for appointment’ in case they have any subsisting contract for pecuniary gains like commercial endorsement or professional sports.

“….you shall be ineligible for appointment…if you are guilty of sports related misconduct like doping etc.,” say the appointment letters.

In case they are found guilty of any such sports related misconduct at any time subsequent to this appointment, their services will be terminated immediately.

The essential qualifications/experience prescribed for the post of deputy director in the service rules will not be applicable to both the players at the time of initial appointment.

However, as per the appointment letter, they will have to obtain graduation or its equivalent from a recognised university and diploma in coaching from National Institute of Sports in the relevant games or diploma from National Institute of Sports with certificate of participation in the Asian Games, the Commonwealth Games, and the Olympics.