Boria Majumdar in Paris
‘Her career is over,’ whispered the stretcher-bearer. Just minutes before, Vinesh Phogat had been leading in her 2016 Olympic quarter-final match against her Chinese opponent, Sun Yanan, in the 48kg category. Now, she was screaming while being carried away from the mat on a stretcher. It was around 11 am in Rio on August 16, 2016. Vinesh had started the bout well, having won her pre-quarter-final earlier in the day fairly convincingly. Many had tipped her to break India’s medal jinx at the 2016 Olympics, and it was no surprise that the entire Indian media contingent was there to watch her do that.
We had just started getting optimistic when Sun attempted a leg takedown. It is a common wrestling move and none of us were concerned till two journalists pointed out that something was wrong. Vinesh was in serious pain and the coach rushed to comfort her. The referee had stopped the contest, and within seconds, a stretcher was brought in to carry her to the medical room. As we rushed down to find out what had happened, the words of the volunteer carrying her stretcher made us stop in our tracks.
‘This can be career-ending,’ he was telling the ringside organiser. ‘Clearly, it is a tear and who knows if she can ever make a comeback?’ we heard him say. When we saw Vinesh again, she was being carried away for urgent medical attention, still screaming in pain. Not only had her Olympic medal dream come to an abrupt end, but it was also clear that her career had taken a merciless blow. For four years, she had trained for Rio, and here she finally was — her dream crashing to ill fate.
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Vinesh Phogat Exclusive
“In our country, we make athletes Gods when they win and abuse them the moment they lose” – @Phogat_Vinesh urges Indians to have a balanced reaction.
Listen in👇@ThumsUpOfficial #Olympics #Paris2024 #BlueRev #Wrestling… pic.twitter.com/HVJ0EB36P3
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) August 6, 2024
Eight years later, it was yet another August day and almost the same time in the morning — 11am. Vinesh was fighting the best-ever wrestler in her category. Yui Susaki is her name — 82 bouts and not one defeat. She had won the Tokyo gold medal without dropping a point. If there was someone invincible, it was her. Vinesh, however, had other ideas. She stayed in the hunt and kept defending. A point down and she knew it was manageable. When it became 0-2, she still knew that one move and she was back in business.
That’s the mental fortitude we speak of. The resilience and the determination. Plainly put — the hunger to win. And when she got her chance, she grabbed it. Soon it was 3-2 in her favour and the whole of India was stunned. Vinesh had slain a giant, and had opened up the draw. The next bout was a relative breeze, and there she was in the semi-final against the Cuban.
I reached the stadium an hour before in anticipation. RevSportz had backed Vinesh all through, and true to our mission, we have forever stayed with the athlete. This was her day, and it was important we were there for her. Vinesh came out calm and composed, and when the fight started, it was evident she was more than ready. Not even once did the Cuban have a chance.
It was 1-0 in the first round, and Vinesh managed four more in the second to nail the bout 5-0. And as it was over, she screamed again. Only this time round, it was a shriek of ecstasy. Of joy and of relief. It was elation of a very different kind. She fought the system, the political class, her own ilk and her inner demons. She was a warrior protecting her honour. And here she is — Olympic medallist Vinesh Phogat. It has a very different ring to it that we love to hear!
She is now on the cusp of history, and that’s when an athlete’s real mettle is tested. How strong is she mentally? Can she be the first individual female gold medallist from India?
If Paris 2024 is any yardstick, Vinesh has proved yet again how talented and mentally strong she is. She is her own competition and if she fights to potential, the gold medal is indeed loading for India. Seeing her determination and having followed what she has been through over the years, few will want to bet against her.
Clearly, Vinesh is a woman on a mission who will not shy away from this final Dangal until she fulfils her dream of winning the Olympic gold medal for India. May be that’s why she did not want to speak yesterday night. “Sir, kal baat karta hoon aapse [I’ll talk to you tomorrow]”was all she said as she gave me a warm smile and handshake before disappearing to give her weight ahead of the final. India’s national javelin day could also be national wrestling day starting tonight, thanks to Vinesh Phogat!
Also Read: Vinesh Phogat grapples her way to gold medal bout