New Delhi: Vinesh Phogat’s journey at the Paris Olympics 2024 has turned into a upheaval chapter. A shocking turn of disqualification from the women’s freestyle 50kg event ahead of the gold medal match on Tuesday has crushed the dreams of an Olympic medal for the Haryana-based grappler.
In a span of 24 hours, Vinesh’s momentum has switched from ecstasy to agony with everything that has fold up at the Champ-de-Mars Arena in the French capital. She became the first female wrestler from India to make cut in a final of any category of the sport at the Olympics. However, she won’t be eligible to finish on the podium after falling 150 grams short of her 50kg permissible weight event.
Vinesh has endured a tough phase in the last 18 months to reach the final of the Paris Olympics before the dreams were buried because of increase of a minor weight. Here’s a timeline of Vinesh’s struggles from the wrestler’s protest to qualification for the Olympics to three straight wins to reach final to the end of the journey.
Vinesh Phogat’s saga: A timeline of events which describes her resilience
January 2023: Senior Indian wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat came to Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to start a protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Vinesh and other female wrestlers accused the WFI chief of sexual harassment and molestation.
April 2023: The wrestlers returned to Jantar Mantar after there was no FIR filed against Brij Bhushan and the protest continued in a second phase. The demand from the wrestlers was the arrest of the WFI president.
May 2023: The Jantar Mantar protest site was cleared by Delhi Police with top wrestlers Vinesh, Sakshi, Sangeeta were detained after they attempted to march towards the new Parliament building on the day of its inauguration on May 28. This marked the end of a 35-day wrestler’s protest.
June 2023: The wrestler’s protest came to a halt after assurance from Union Sports minister Anurag Thakur that police investigations against Brij Bhushan will get underway and WFI elections will be conducted. Delhi Police filed a chargesheet against the WFI chief after direction received from the Supreme Court.
July 2023: Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia exempted from the trials for the Asian Games selection. Several parents and coaches of dejected wrestlers demanded withdrawal of exemption given to the top wrestlers.
August 2023: Vinesh announced that she will miss the Asian Games owing to a knee injury suffered in a training session. She underwent a surgery in the same month.
December 2023: Vinesh Phogat along with Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia expressed disappointment after Sanjay Singh, a close aide of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, was elected as the new WFI president.
March 2024: Vinesh decided to compete in the trials for 50kg & 53kg to fight for the Olympics.
April 2024: Vinesh won a quota for the Paris Olympics in the women’s 50kg freestyle following a win against Laura Ganikyzy of Kazakhstan in the semifinal of the at the Asian Olympic Qualifiers. She went through a rigorous process a day before her qualification event to fit below the 50kg requirment. She became the first Indian woman wrestler to compete at three editions of the Olympics.
August 2024: On August 6, Vinesh Phogat started her Paris Olympics campaign with a remarakble win against four-time world champion Yui Susaki of Japan. She stunned the veteran Japanese in the pre-quarterfinal 3-2, becoming the first wrestler to beat Susaki in international wresting. Later in the day, she registered two more wins against Oksana Livach of Ukraine (quarterfinal) and then Yusneylys Guzman Lopez (semifinal) to become first Indian women to reach an Olympic final of wrestling across categories.
On August 7, Vinesh was disqualified from the 50kg women’s freestyle wrestling after she exceeded her weight by just 150 grams. This happened on the day of her gold medal match against America’s Sarah Hildebrandt.
Vinesh Phogat’s journey at the Paris Olympics 2024 has turned into a upheaval chapter. A shocking turn of disqualification from the women’s freestyle 50kg event ahead of the gold medal match on Tuesday has crushed the dreams of an Olympic medal for the Haryana-based grappler. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
