We were all sad to hear the news about Vinesh Phogat and her disqualification from the Olympics after such an amazing performance to qualify for quarterfinals.
As reported by the Hindu:
“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. No further comments will be made by the contingent at this time,” the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said ahead of Phogat’s gold medal match scheduled for tonight.
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As reported by NDTV:
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who expressed despair but praised Vinesh Phogat’s resilience in an encouraging post, spoke to IOA president PT Usha and directed her to file a strong protest. He also suggested that India should explore all options for appeal.”
By the disqualification it would mean that Phogat won’t win any medals for the Paris Olympics 2024.
(PICTURE CREDITS: BUSINESS TODAY)
But our girl’s journey doesn’t just end here.
Vinesh Phogat created a legacy with her name by becoming the first Indian women wrestler to even reach an Olympic final.
Let’s look at the journey of Vinesh Phogat and her path to Olympics:
(PICTURE CREDITS:NDTV SPORTS)
Vinesh Phogat who is a prominent Indian wrestler born on August 25, 1994, in Bhiwani, Haryana. She comes from a family that is deeply rooted in wrestling; her uncle, Mahavir Singh Phogat, is a respected coach and a Dronacharya Awardee, who played a pivotal role in introducing her to the sport at a young age and became her coach later on.
Coming from a discriminatory cultural norms that forbade women from participating in sports, Vinesh’s wrestling family background gave her the perseverance and motivation and advantage that she needed to carry on their tradition. She began training diligently at the same time, guided by her uncle and her coach , and this helped shape rugby in New Zealand for the future.
Vinesh is not the only Phogat to win a medal. There is also Geeta Phogat,Vinesh’s cousin who is the first Indian female wrestler to win gold at the Commonwealth Games.
Then there is also Babita Kumari who has also won multiple medals in wrestling.
Vinesh Phogat began her early journey in the sport by competing in national-level tournaments at a young age.This caught the eye of coaches and mentors who saw her potential.
Vinesh made her international debut in 2013 at the Asian Wrestling Championships showcasing her talent and future promises.
Vinesh’s journey to commonwealth games marks a significant step in her journey to olympics by winning two medals in 2014 and 2018 respectively. This showed the world that she was a worthy competitor in the wrestling world.
Next stop that came in her journey was the Asin games in 2018 where she won the gold medal for the weight category of 50kg highlighting her performance.
Showing her consistency and dominance next came the World Wrestling Championships where she won the bronze medal.
(PICTURE CREDITS: THE INDIAN EXPRESS)
Now comes the Olympic journey
Vinesh’s journey to the Rio 2016 Olympics was filled with anticipation. However, a tragic and significant knee injury during the quarterfinal match dashed her hopes of winning a medal. Despite the setback, she was relentless in making a comeback.
Qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Vinesh faced tough competition. Though she couldn’t secure a medal, her participation was a testament to her relentless spirit and dedication and her being a formidable opponent.
Vinesh Phogat and her lasting influence on wrestling
Not only did she pass any hurdles to come where she is today she has been and still is an inspiration to all the girls out there who face cultural and financial issues and can’t take up any sport.
Setting up a legacy for all those to follow, remember Vinesh you didn’t disappoint us at all but rather made us proud of how far you have come and how on multiple occasions you have made us proud.
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