Vinesh Phogat’s Emotional Response: 29-year-old wrestler Vinesh Phogat gave her first reaction on Friday, August 16 after being disqualified from the Paris Olympics. She wrote a 3-page letter.
Vinesh said, ‘If what happened in Paris had not happened, I would have played till Olympics 2032, because the fighting spirit and wrestling will always remain in me. I don’t know what the future holds and what will happen next in my journey, but one thing is for sure that I will always keep fighting for what I think is right.’
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He said, ‘There is a lot to say, but words will never be enough. Maybe I will talk about it again when the time is right.’ During the Paris Olympics, Vinesh was disqualified on 7 August just before the final for being 100 grams overweight.
Vinesh said, ‘I tried to lose weight overnight. I worked hard for about five and a half hours, but could not bring my weight down to my weight category of 50 kg.’ Meanwhile, her foreign coach Waller Akos revealed today, ‘At one point we thought Vinesh would die.’
Vinesh said, we did not give up till the final
Vinesh said in the letter, ‘On the night of August 6 and the morning of August 7, we did not give up. Our efforts did not stop. We did not bow down, but the clock stopped and the time was not right. My luck was also not with me. The goal we were working for, for my team, for Indians, for my family. It remained incomplete. It will always be missing.’
Vinesh Phogat’s X post
Vinesh’s words in 7 points
1- Fulfilled father’s dream: ‘When I was young, I had no idea about the Olympics. Like every other little girl, I wanted to have long hair. I wanted to roam around with a phone in my hand. My father is an ordinary bus driver. He wanted to see his daughter flying in an airplane. I fulfilled my father’s dream. Whenever he mentions this to me, I laugh.’
2- Husband Somveer supported me at every step: ‘Despite all the difficulties, my family kept faith in God. We are sure that whatever God has thought for us, it must be good. My mother always says that God never lets bad things come in the life of good people. I became even more convinced of this when I moved forward on the path of life with my husband Somveer. Somveer has supported me in every journey.’
3- I knew Somveer was standing with me : Somveer, who is my husband, life partner and best friend for life. To say that we were equal partners when we faced any challenge would be wrong, because at every step he sacrificed and bore my hardships, always protecting me.
He put my journey above his own and extended his support with utmost loyalty, dedication and honesty. If he was not there, I could not have imagined being here, continuing my fight and facing each day. This is only possible because I know he is standing with me, behind me and in front of me when needed and always protecting me.
4- Maa wanted all her children to be happy: My mother who could write an entire story on the hardships of her life only dreamed that all her children will one day live a better life than her. Being independent and her children standing on their own feet was a dream for her.
Her wishes and dreams were much simpler than my father’s. But my father left us and all I lived with was the thought of him and the memories of flying in a plane. I was confused about their meaning then, but still kept that dream with me.
5- Mother taught me to fight for my rights: My mother’s dream was now further away, as she was diagnosed with stage three cancer a few months after my father’s death. Here began the journey of three children who lose their childhood to support their single mother. Soon my dreams of long hair, mobile phone faded away, as I faced the reality of life and joined the race for survival.
But the struggle taught me a lot. My mother’s struggle, never-say-die attitude and fighting ability made me who I am today. She taught me to fight for what is rightfully mine. When I think of courage, I think of her and it is this courage that helps me fight every battle without thinking about the outcome.
6- A lot has happened to me in the last 2 years: My journey has given me the opportunity to meet a lot of people, most of whom turned out to be good and some bad. In the last one and a half to two years, a lot has happened on and off the mat.
My life took many turns and it seemed like there was no way out of it, but the people around me had honesty, goodwill towards me and immense support. These people and their belief in me was so strong that I could move forward and deal with these challenges for the last 2 years.
7- Vinesh expressed gratitude to the support staff and Dr. Pardiwala: My support staff has contributed a lot during my journey on the mat for the last 2 years. Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala is not a new name in Indian sports. For me and I think for many other Indian athletes, he is not just a doctor but an angel sent by God.
When I had stopped believing in myself after facing injuries, it was his faith, work and belief in me that got me back on my feet again. His dedication and sincerity towards his work and Indian sports is something that even God would not doubt. I am forever grateful for the work and dedication of him and his entire team. His being in Paris is a gift for all athletes.
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