New Delhi: Tokyo Games bronze medallist wrestler Bajrang Punia on Tuesday termed fellow grappler Vinesh Phogat, who was one of the prime supporters of the protest against the World Federation of India (WFI) former cheif Brij Bhushan Singh, as the "lioness of India" after the 29-year-old qualified for her maiden Olympic semifinals after registering a couple of stunning victories in Paris Olympics 2024. A win will assure her of at least a silver while a loss will take her into the bronze medal playoff.
Vinesh caused the biggest upset of the ongoing Paris Olympics with her exceptional victory over the defending champions and a women's wrestler without any defeat on an international level, Japan's Yui Susaki and higher-ranked Ukrainian Oksana Livanch to storm into the pre-final clash. She will face Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez in the semi-final at 9:15 later today.
"Vinesh Phogat is the lioness of India who won back-to-back matches today. Defeated 4-time World Champion and defending Olympic champion. After that he defeated the former World Champion in the quarterfinals," Punia wrote on his 'X' handle.
Vinesh was one of the main faces of wrestlers' protest for the change in administration of WFI alongside Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik in Delhi last year against alleged sexual harassment of women wrestlers by former President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
"But let me tell you one thing. This girl was kicked and crushed in her own country. This girl was dragged on the streets in her country. This girl is going to conquer the world but she lost to the system in this country," he added.
The Indian grappler defeated Livach, a former European champion and 2018 world championship bronze-medallist, 7-5 in a cliffhanger 1/4 elimination bout and is just one step away from securing an Olympic medal in her third attempt after Rio and Tokyo Olympics. Vinesh lost her first match in the Olympics in 2016 while making the quarterfinal exit in the 2020 Games.
Vinesh had failed to win a medal in her two previous Olympic appearances. She has won two bronze medals in 53kg in World Championships in 2019 and 2022.
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