Olympian Vinesh Phogat Pins Opposers On The Mat

There is massive excitement in India as wrestler Vinesh Phogat defeated Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez to enter Olympics 2024 women's wrestling 50kg final at the Paris Olympics 2024 on Wednesday. She will now fight for gold.

Winning with a brilliant 5-0, Phogat achieved a historical feat by becoming the first Indian woman to enter a wrestling final at the Olympics.

Vinesh Phogat will now play United States’ Sarah Ann Hildebrandt in the Olympics 2024 women's wrestling 50kg final on Wednesday. Earlier, Vinesh Phogat stunned world No. 1 and defending champion Yui Susaki of Japan in the Round of 16, before edging out Ukraine Oksana Livach in the quarterfinals.

While the whole country is celebrating the win, many have said that the win is a slap on the faces of those who defied the wrestlers when they had come to protest against a series of sexual harassment against former chief of Wresting Federation of India (WFI) Brij Bhushan Singh last year.

Speaking to the media, former Olympic bronze winner Bajrang Punia said, “I am watching who all are congratulating as she has once again become the daughter of the country. During the protest they were saying these wrestlers are Jaat or are from one community, I think she has become the country’s daughter again. It will be interesting to see how the congratulations messages are reaching Paris as solidarity messages could not reach Jantar Mantar during that time.”

Meanwhile,the former wrestler Sakshi Malik also shared her congratulations for Phogat. Malik and Phogat had led the sexual harassment protests along with Punia at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.

Sharing their pictures from the protest and Phogat winning pictures, Malik wrote on ‘X’: This is a very emotional moment for me. Vinesh will be fighting for gold in tomorrow’s match. Her years of dedication will fulfill her lifelong dream and with it mine and dreams of millions of Indians… (Translated from Hindi).

Malik is India’s only other woman wrestler who has won an Olympic medal. She had won a bronze at Rio in 2016.

“We are now assured of a medal. This win and the wishes for it must go to her and everyone who stood by us all along,” her post concluded.

Messages are pouring in with videos of her speaking to her mother just before her match being shared that have won the internet’s heart.

Before the match, Phogat had declined to speak to the media. Eyewitnesses recount how Phogat walked quietly through the mixed zone, her head down, politely declining media interactions and simply nodding or whispering “thank you” to compliments, focused on her next goal.