- The entire country rejoiced when by now perpetually resilient Vinesh Phogat stormed into the 53kg wrestling category finals in the Paris Olympics. People closely following the fortunes of the sporting community in India would know how Vinesh Phogat hit the national headlines for being an active participant in the agitation against the Wrestling Federation of India’s then-chief over sexual harassment allegations. Vinesh not only plunged into the agitation with purpose and intent but also was at the forefront defying the emerging situations with dare-devilry whenever the authorities attempted to evacuate the wrestlers agitating for a just cause. What started as a simmering discontent soon spilled onto the streets leading to the other wrestlers’ joining hands.
PC: Business Standard
- The nation saw how the authorities went against some of the most decorated sporting personalities fighting for what they believed was a just cause. Here, Vinesh Phogat showed the country what she was capable of by confronting the agitation with verve. We know how the wrestler qualified for the Paris Olympics. Reaching finals also meant a permanent moniker of Vinesh being the first woman to do so from India. Her disqualification from fighting the ultimate about on the day of the final for weighing 100 grams more must have devastated the wrestler. The whole country was in turmoil and could not comprehend what was happening soon after the news broke out in the morning. The case of so near yet so far aptly summed up the unfolding events.
- Make no mistake, rarely does a rare sportsperson become a star without winning. Vinesh has become one and her story is not over yet. To the podium finishers, belong the laurels, always. But then there is Vinesh Phogat. Goldless and medalless she has got India buzzing like the bee’s knees. The public gaze on her life story is not new. It intensified as she stormed into the Olympic wrestling final, the first Indian woman to do so. Then grew upon her weighted disqualification. Instead of dimming her story arc, her losses have had a habit of lifting it higher. Will this pattern endure? Of course, it is routine to lose in sports. Most Olympians have lost in Paris too. There are Indians who will return having been in painful touching distance of bronze.
PC: Mint
- In archery, shooting, badminton, weightlifting. Maybe Vinesh had more than her fair share of injuries. But the hits to her elbows and knees are only one part of what’s riveting about her biography. What’s made this Olympian stand out in India, is the battle she has fought outside the ring, and not for herself. Conspiracy theories that have grown around her disqualification do suffer from ignorance about wrestling’s rules. This is a country where most sports conversation is about cricket, after all. Nonetheless, whether it is protesting, attacking, celebrating, or healing, Vinesh’s images have ineffable pull. Medal win or not, Vinesh will be remembered for showing the indefatigable fighting spirit to take on the odds. A true winner in every sense!
