By Mahavir Phogat
Olympics medal or not, Vinesh can be one of many largest achievers in wrestling and Indian sports activities normally. Whereas we’re heartbroken on the choice, nothing can take away what she has carried out for Indian wrestling and might be remembered for her preventing spirit. For us, she is going to all the time be a champion and we are going to accord a welcome for her at Balali village on August 17, when she returns house.
The primary time I noticed Vinesh was when her mom introduced her to our household house in Balali village. She was small however held my fingers tightly after I held her arms. I informed her mother and father how sturdy this younger woman is. Rampal, my brother, and his spouse Prem Lata requested me to deal with her like my very own daughters. That has been the case until now. I deal with Vinesh and her sister Priyanka the identical approach I do my daughters Geeta, Babita, Ritu and Sangeeta.
Once I began coaching Geeta and Babita in 2000, each Vinesh and Ritu, of the identical age, would accompany us. Vinesh noticed them and mentioned the strikes when returning house. I’d wake her up by round 4 am. Like different children, she didn’t need to get up so early however then she knew I used to be a taskmaster when it got here to coaching. From that day, whether or not it was summer season or winter, raining or not, she can be coaching within the mud together with her sisters and can be the final to depart the akhada.
When Vinesh misplaced her father Rampal in 2003, she was solely 9 years outdated. However she resumed coaching inside days. There was this fireplace in her to show the world that she will be able to battle the world alone. That anger inside mirrored in her mindset. She discovered the strikes quick. One of many strikes she mastered early on was the gut-wrench one, the place she locked the opponent and did a aspect roll. She additionally nuanced the manoeuvre to seize the neck and carry out the aspect roll with perfection.
Setbacks galore
Over time, Vinesh has confronted disappointments together with the harm in Rio Olympics and backlash over her Tokyo efficiency. However then she has all the time risen above all these. When she returned house from the Rio Olympics after that knee harm, she informed me that it’s not the tip of her Olympic dream. The 2 World Championship bronze medals motivated her however the starvation for an Olympics medal stored her going. That’s what she proved when she beat World No.1 Yusi Susaki. When the information of her disqualification got here, I used to be disenchanted not just for the disqualification but additionally that tragedies had been recurring in her life.
After her heartbreaking disqualification from Paris 2024 Olympics gold medal bout, Vinesh introduced her retirement. (PTI)
Final 12 months through the protests, the ladies in our home had been apprehensive seeing the photographs of Vinesh and Sangeeta being pulled away by the police. Par major janta tha ki Vinesh tab tak apni zid nahi chodegi jab tak ki motion nahi liya jayega. (However I knew Vinesh would keep on with her stand until an motion is taken). Wrestling is what she has recognized all her life and she will be able to do something for wrestling.
Our ideas had been the identical after the disqualification that the choice to carry weigh-in for 2 days and disqualifying a wrestler, who had reached the ultimate after making the minimize on the primary day, must be challenged. The incident apprehensive us. Such incidents take a toll on the athlete’s psychological well being, though her brother, sister and staff would have supported her.
The principles should be corrected to not deny a wrestler his or her efforts on the primary day. If wanted, there ought to be extra discussions on weigh-in and weight- chopping to make sure that there isn’t any undue benefit for a wrestler.
Mahavir Phogat, uncle of Vinesh, spoke with Nitin Sharma