Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday announced that wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who was disqualified from her gold medal bout in the womens 50 kg category in the Paris Olympics after failing her second weigh-in, would be given the honour, rewards and facilities given to a player who wins silver medal in Olympic. "Vinesh is a champion for us," Saini said in a statement, adding, "The whole of India is proud of Vineshs performance". Talking to reporters in Chandigarh, the Chief Minister further said, Ace wrestler Vinesh is the daughter of Haryana, and we are very proud of her performance in the Olympics. Vinesh has not only made Haryana proud but has also brought glory to the entire Nation at the international level. Regardless of any reasons she may not have been able to play in the Olympic final, she is a champion for all of us. Therefore, the Haryana government has decided to award Vinesh Phogat with the same rewards and benefits as an Olympic silver medalist. He also congratulated and extended best wishes to Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh for winning medals in the Olympics. Meanwhile, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Thursday said that the Congress would have sent Olympian Vinesh Phogat to Rajya Sabha if they had the numbers in the State. The Election Commission had on August 7 announced the schedule for holding the bypoll to fill a Rajya Sabha seat from the state. The seat fell vacant after incumbent Deepender Singh Hooda got elected to the Lok Sabha from Rohtak constituency.    Hooda said that Vinesh has brought glory to the country in sports. Her performance in this Olympics was excellent. She defeated the best wrestlers from all over the world. In the very first match, she defeated a wrestler from Japan who was undefeated till now, he said. If she had not been disqualified, Vinesh would definitely have brought a gold medal for the country. Therefore, she should be given the same reward, respect and position as a gold medal winner by the state government. The Congress party feels that Vinesh Phogat should be sent to the Rajya Sabha. This will boost the morale of all the players and women and send a positive message across the country, he added. Reacting to the announcement by Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini that Vinesh would be rewarded as every silver medallist is, the Congress leader said that the Haryana government should treat her as a gold medal winner. The government should also intervene to find out how she got disqualified. Its quite rare, Hooda added.

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