Vinesh Phogat: An inspirational journey of blood, sweat, and tears
Vinesh Phogat had become the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the final of the Olympic Games after defeating Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez.
On Thursday morning, Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat announced her retirement from wrestling following her disqualification from the Paris Olympics 2024.
The athlete took to social media platform X to share a heartfelt note.
A day before, the wrestler was hours away from clinching a medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 when the news of her disqualification shattered the hearts of 1.4 billion Indians.
The athlete was disqualified for being 100 gm overweight in the women’s 50 kg category on the morning of her gold medal bout on Thursday.
“It is with regret that the Indian contingent shares news of the disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from the women’s wrestling 50kg class. Despite the best efforts by the team through the night, she weighed in a few grams over 50kg this morning,” the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said in a statement.
The athlete, alongside her coaches and support staff, spent a sleepless night without food or water, reports said. She attempted to shed the excess weight by jogging, skipping, cycling, and even cutting her hair.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala explained in a statement shared by the IOA that Phogat had fought three bouts and was given small amounts of water to prevent dehydration.
“Her post-participation weight was found to have increased. The coach initiated the normal process of weight cut that he has employed with Vinesh and felt confident that it would be achieved,” he added
He also informed that IV fluids were being administered to Phogat to prevent dehydration but she is physically and medically perfectly normal.
Though the athlete could not realise her Olympic dream, her journey of perseverance, strength, and hard-fought victories will be remembered for years to come.
Earlier on Tuesday, the wrestler laid down at the Champ-de-Mars Arena in Paris, bursting into tears and screams after defeating the reigning Olympic Champion and four-time World Champion legend Yui Susaki of Japan in the opening round at the Paris Olympics 2024.
She had claimed two more victories on the same day by defeating former European champion Oksana Livach of Ukraine in the quarterfinals and scoring a 5-0 win over Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez.
She became the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the final of the Olympic Games.
Before the Olympics, Phogat faced an 18-month-long struggle while spearheading a protest against the alleged sexual harassment of women wrestlers by the Wrestlers' Federation of India's former President, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
After months of protest and delays, Sanjay Singh, who is said to be a close associate of Brij Bhushan, was elected as the new president of the WFI.
Post the announcement Olympic bronze-medallist wrestler Sakshi Malik announced her retirement while Vinesh and Bajrang Punia returned their Khel Ratna and Arjuna Awards to the government.
However, Phogat did not waver in her determination to win an Olympic gold.
Early life
Coming from a family of wrestlers, the athlete was introduced to the sport at a very young age by her uncle, Mahavir Singh Phogat. Following the footsteps of her cousins, Geeta Phogat and Babita Kumari, the athlete knew her heart was into wrestling.
However, her journey was not a bed of roses.
Phogat faced opposition from villagers who believed wrestling was a man’s sport. Tragically, she lost her father when she was just nine years old and her uncle became her guiding force.
Phogat won her first major international title at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, claiming gold in the 48 kg category.
She secured her quota place for Rio 2016 but her quest for an Olympic gold came crashing after she dislocated her right knee while facing China's Sun Yanan in the quarterfinals. But she sprung back with gold medals at both the 2018 Commonwealth Games and 2018 Asian Games.
For the 2019 season, Phogat switched to the 53 kg category and won a bronze at the 2019 Asian Wrestling Championships.
She also won a maiden World Championships medal at Nur-Sultan, Kazakhastan, which secured a place for Tokyo 2020.
However, during the Tokyo Olympics, the athlete failed to make the cut in the quarter-final bout. Phogat later won a bronze medal at the World Wrestling Championships 2022 in Belgrade and a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Winning hearts
As the news broke, many athletes and influential figures came forward to support the wrestler.
IOA President Dr PT Usha said, “I am aware of the relentless efforts made by Vinesh, the medical team led by Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala and the Chef-de-Mission Gagan Narang through the night to ensure that she could meet the competition requirements. The IOA is taking every step to ensure that the morale of the contingent remains high.”
PM Narendra Modi wrote on X, “Vinesh, you are a champion among champions! You are India's pride and an inspiration for each and every Indian. Today's setback hurts. I wish words could express the sense of despair that I am experiencing. At the same time, I know that you epitomize resilience. It has always been your nature to take challenges head on. Come back stronger! We are all rooting for you.”
Despite the heartbreak of disqualification, Phogat's unwavering determination has won the admiration of millions.
At the Paris Olympics 2024, she came, fought and conquered a billion hearts.
(The article has been updated to add details about Phogat's retirement)
Edited by Kanishk Singh
