Paris (France): Vinesh Phogat added her glorious tale to the Olympic record books on Tuesday when she made it into the final of the women’s 50kg event in wrestling. She became the first Indian female wrestler to fight for gold at the Olympics.
Vinesh’s journey in Paris 2024
Many experts assumed that Vinesh would be playing in repechage after she was drawn against World No.1 Yui Susaki of Japan who had an 82-0 record at the international level. Thus, the odds were stacked against the Indian wrestler. But, she adopted the strategy of defending till the last 20 seconds and then pulled off a move to gain the lead and stunningly win a bout. The win was enormous and the celebrations from Vinesh after the triumph were evidence of that.
The 29-year-old then went on to beat 2018 European champion Oksana Livach of Ukraine in the quarterfinals and then she outplayed Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez in the semi-finals to enter her maiden Olympics final.
Battle against WFI chief Sharan Singh
Vinesh was one of the central figures in the wrestlers’ protests against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The wrestlers accused the influential BJP MP of sexual misconduct and making threats. These allegations sparked a wave of activism and the wrestlers protested against Sharan Singh.
The protesters were met with repression as Phogat along with other wrestlers faced brutal police action on the streets of Delhi. They were dragged and beaten with batons by the police. Vinesh faced criticism from many as critics said that she should focus on her game and avoid doing politics.
Defying the odds
Apart from facing hurdles off the mat, Vinesh battled with a lot of issues in her playing career as well. She went under the knife for a knee injury in 2023 but recovered in a quick time. Also, she has to change her weight category from 53 kg to 50 kg for the Olympics as Antim Panghal secured a quota in Vinesh’s preferred category. It meant that she entered the competition as an unseeded player and got a tough draw handed to her with the Japanese locking horns with her in the first match.
By securing a podium finish, Vinesh has inked an inspirational tale of perseverance, grit and determination in fighting against all the odds.
