New Delhi: Ace Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who was denied a silver medal by the Court of Arbitration of Sports (CAS) on Wednesday, shared a heartfelt note on her social media handle as she thanked her near and dear ones who stood by her throughout the gruelling journey. Phogat’s road to the Paris Olympics 2024 was full of hurdles as she battled her heart out on and off the field, being exemplary and leaving an indelible mark in the history of Indian sports.
Vinesh had appealed to the CAS for a joint-silver medal after being disqualified by the organisers on the day of her final bout in the women’s freestyle 50kg event. She was deemed 100 grams overweight on the second day of weigh-in which ruled her out of contention for a gold medal. The verdict was long pending after the hearing took place on August 9, but on Wednesday the CAS dismissed the case in a one-line verdict, denying the Indian wrestler a silver in Paris Games 2024.
A grief-stricken Vinesh took to her social media handle on “X” (formerly Twitter) and shared a long heartfelt note where she talked about her journey from being a little girl dreaming of representing India on the global stage and how she paved her path to previous Olympics and Paris this year. Although the statement does not explicitly mention whether she has taken back her retirement, it expresses a sense of ongoing commitment to her goals and future ambitions despite feeling that the journey is unfinished.
— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) August 16, 2024
“Olympic rings: as a small girl from a small village I did not know what was the Olympics or what these rings meant. As a small girl, I dream of things like long hair, flaunting a mobile phone in my hand, and doing all these things that any young girl would normally dream of,” Vinesh wrote.
“My journey here has allowed me to meet so many people, most good and some bad. In the past 1.5-2 years, a lot has happened off and on the mat. My life took many turns, felt like life took a stop for good and there was no way out from the pit we were in. But the people around me had honesty in them, they had goodwill and massive support for me. These people and their faith in me was so strongly grounded, it is because of them that I could continue through the challenges and get through the past 2 years,” she added.
A day after her disqualification from the Summer Games 2024, she announced her retirement from sport saying she doesn’t have the strength to continue and that her dream and courage are broken.
Vinesh expresses gratitude to support staff
In the long note, Vinesh acknowledged the support provided to her by all the people, who were involved in her journey. It was a heartfelt tribute to the various individuals and teams who have supported her throughout her athletic journey. She expressed gratitude for the contributions made by her orthopedic surgeon Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala, physician Dr. Wayne Patrick Lombard, her coach Woller Akos, and her physiotherapist Ashwini Jeevan Patil.
She didn’t leave out Tajinder Kaur, a weight management specialist, Olympic Gold Quest (OCQ) and its team, and Olympic medal winner Gagan Narang with Olympic team support staff.
“To my team, my fellow Indians, and my family, it feels like the goal that we were working towards and what we had planned to achieve is unfinished, that something might always remain missing, and that things might never be the same again. Maybe under different circumstances, I could see myself playing till 2032, because the fight in me and wrestling in me will always be there.
I can’t predict what the future holds for me, and what awaits me in this journey next, but I am sure that I will continue to fight always for what I believe in and for the right thing,” Vinesh concluded.
Vinesh Phogat took to her social media handle to share a long heartwarming note where she thanked her support staff and her family for standing by her through thick and thin. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
