vinesh-phogat-a-fighter-on-and-off-the-mat

Vinesh Phogat has become accustomed to being labelled as stubborn, and she actually quite enjoys it.

 

Why wouldn't she? Her stubbornness helped her withstand intimidation, police detention, backlash over leading a protest, and a smear campaign attempting to tarnish her image while she was pushing her body to fit into a lower weight class just to have the opportunity to compete for an Olympic spot.

 

Instead of succumbing to despair, she responded fiercely to her detractors, which ultimately turned out to be a hidden blessing as she became the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the finals of the Olympics after two unsuccessful attempts over 12 years.

 

The most eventful of these 12 years was 2023 when she took to the streets to protest the alleged sexual harassment of female grapplers by the then-chief of the Wrestling Federation of India, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

 

महिला खिलाड़ियों को गाली गलोच देने वाले तुम्हारे मुँह हम ज़रूर तोड़ेंगे

अगर जीत जाएँ तो भी गालियाँ
अगर हार जाएँ तो भी गालियाँ
महिला खिलाड़ियों को लेकर आईटी सेल वालों की मानसिकता देखकर समझ आता है कि वे महिलाओं को कितनी बुरी हालत में देखना चाहते हैं.

पर इन सब मूर्खों को यह… pic.twitter.com/nlErG6xMv9

— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) March 12, 2024

Throughout this tumultuous period, she remained confident that her fight was just, and she ultimately prevailed.

 

As she focused on securing a spot at the Paris Olympics, a new set of challenges confronted her, almost as if urging her to exit the stage for good.

 

After competing in the 53kg category for over five years, she had to lower her weight to 50kg.

 

Before the Olympic qualifiers, she faced numerous challenges during her trial matches, and she also had to undergo knee surgery years after she tore her anterior cruciate ligament at the 2016 Rio Olympics, which almost ended her career.

 

For the determined wrestler from Haryana, who always encountered obstacles on her journey to the French capital, the stakes were high. While many people would have given up, she did not.

 

Instead, she stepped up her efforts, reflecting all the hard work that contributed to Vinesh Phogat's creation.

 

Ultimately, her remarkable journey, from participating in street protests in Delhi to standing on the podium in Paris, resulted in a historic medal.

 

This achievement serves as a strong response to her critics in the national federation, who had condemned her for her prominent role in the prolonged protest against Brij Bhushan.

The police, the courts, and the government all became involved as residents of the national capital grew impatient with the protests that disrupted vehicular movement in the heart of Delhi.

 

Around that time, her critics were convinced that warped ideas were bubbling in her head, but Vinesh, who is days away from turning 30, grew even more determined to carry on the fight thanks to her steely resolve and unquenchable confidence in her ability.

 

Her exceptional qualities greatly contributed to her winning a medal in the largest sports event in the world, marking a significant achievement in her illustrious career.

 

Her journey began with the qualifiers, during which she successfully convinced the officials to allow her to compete in two weight categories, eventually securing her spot in the 50kg category.

 

Several weeks later, she earned her spot in the Olympics in this new category. Throughout this time, she also faced false claims that she had attempted to avoid a doping test, dealing with this adversity amidst all the excitement.

 

Considering the challenges she faced on her path to her current accomplishments, it would be an understatement to simply label her as courageous and determined.

 

For those who have been chronicling her life and career, Vinesh Phogat is undoubtedly worthy of more than just a few accolades.

 

Phogat has been engaged in battles both on the mat and off the mat in recent years.

 

The challenges she faced off the mat were more demanding than the ones she encountered while growing up in her village in Balali. However, those battles outside the field actually better prepared her to face her competitors in the competition.

 

During her time in Paris, she was matched up against Japanese wrestler Yui Susaki, who had never been defeated in her international career and is a four-time world Olympic champion.

 

Using a well-planned strategy and drawing strength from her off-mat struggles, Vinesh surprised the reigning Olympic champion in one of the most significant upsets of the Games.

 

After conquering her toughest rival in the competition, she went on to defeat the eighth seed, Oksana Livach of Ukraine, securing a place in the semi-finals of the women's 50kg freestyle event.

 

In her moment of victory, following everything she had endured, she lay on the mat, tears of joy streaming down her face.

 

However, the task was not finished.

 

In the semi-finals, Vinesh overcame Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez to secure a medal and become the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the final at the Olympics.

 

From facing opposition from villagers who believed wrestling was meant for men to losing her father at the tender age of nine and standing up against influential federation officials, Vinesh encountered countless hardships while striving to achieve her dreams.

 

"Wrestling's world body" extended congratulations to her on social media with the words, "Believe and you can fly."

 

From the looks of it, she is certainly doing just that.