India’s Vinesh Phogat (L) celebrates her victory over Japan’s Yui Susaki in the round of 16 of the women’s 50kg freestyle wrestling event at the Champ-de-Mars Arena during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, August 6, 2024, in Paris, France. (Photo: PTI)
Months before her long-cherished dream of winning an Olympic medal became a reality, Vinesh Phogat was furious, but she remained adamant despite harassment, police detentions, obstruction of a protest she led and a smear campaign aimed at portraying her in a negative light.
Instead of sinking into a haze of despair, she reacted angrily to her opponents. This proved to be a blessing, as she became the first Indian female wrestler to reach the final of the Olympics, after two failed attempts in twelve years.
Throughout that tumultuous period, she was convinced that her struggle was just, and in that she achieved victory.
While she was focused on booking a ticket for the Paris Olympics, she was faced with a new set of challenges. It looked like she would have to leave the Olympics for good.
She had to cut down to 50kg after competing in the 53kg class for more than five years, there were also various problems with her Olympic qualification tryouts and then there was the small matter of knee surgery, years after a tear in her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) at the 2016 Rio Olympics nearly ended her career.
For the combative wrestler from Haryana, whose path to the French capital was always full of obstacles, the stakes were high. Ordinary mortals would have succumbed, but she did not.
Instead, she shifted into high gear. It was a reflection of all the things that went into the making of Vinesh Phogat.
Ultimately, her extraordinary journey, from the street protests of Delhi to the podium in Paris, culminated in a historic medal, the color of which will be announced on Wednesday. For now, she has secured herself a silver medal.
It is a perfect response to her opponents within the national federation who criticised her for her leading role in the ongoing protest against former Indian Wrestling Federation chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is accused of harassment and sexual harassment.
The police got involved, the courts got involved and even the government stepped in when the capital’s residents grew impatient with the protests that were disrupting traffic in central Delhi.
By then, her critics were convinced that strange ideas were bubbling in her head, but Vinesh, who will soon turn 30, only became more determined to continue the fight thanks to her iron willpower and an inexhaustible faith in her abilities.
These qualities contributed greatly to her winning a medal at the biggest sporting event in the world, which in a way completed her successful career.
It started with the competitions, where she forced the officials to let her compete in two weight classes, then she was selected for the 50 kg class.
Weeks later, she earned her Olympic qualification for the new division, and in the meantime she battled the spread of misinformation that she had tried to dodge a doping test amid all the drama.
Considering the journey she has taken in recent times to get to where she is today, it would not do her justice to say that she is synonymous with courage and determination.
For those who have documented her life and career, Vinesh Phogat deserves more than just a bunch of superlatives.
In recent years, Phogat has fought on two fronts: on the mat and off it. Her fights off the mat were, in fact, more challenging than the fights she grew up with in her village in Balali. But in a way, those fights off the court prepared her better to take on her rivals in competition.
When she arrived in Paris, she faced Japanese wrestler Yui Susaki, who had never lost a match in her international career and was a four-time world champion at the Olympic Games.
But Vinesh, who took advantage of her off-mat struggles and employed a perfect game plan, surprised the reigning Olympic champion in one of the biggest upsets in wrestling.
After beating her toughest opponent in the competition, the Indian defeated eighth-seeded Oksana Livach of Ukraine to secure a place in the semi-finals of the women’s 50kg freestyle.
In her moment of triumph, after all she had been through, she lay on the mat, tears of joy rolling down her cheeks.
But the job wasn’t done yet.
In the semi-finals, Vinesh defeated Cuban Yusneylis Guzman Lopez to win a medal and become the first Indian female wrestler to reach the finals of the Olympic Games.
From facing opposition from villagers who viewed wrestling as a man’s sport, losing her father at the age of nine to facing conflicts with powerful federation officials, Vinesh has had to overcome countless setbacks on her way to realising her dreams.
“Believe and you can fly,” the world wrestling organization said as they congratulated her on social media.
She sure is.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been edited by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
First print: Aug 07, 2024 | 12:26 AM IST