Vinesh Phogat made history on Tuesday as the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the Olympic finals. After a year-long protest against alleged sexual harassment by former Wrestlers’ Federation of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Phogat secured her place in the 50kg summit clash by defeating Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez 5-0 in the semifinals.
With this victory, Phogat is assured of at least a silver medal. Her historic win at the Paris Olympics follows a prolonged sit-in protest in Delhi last year, where Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and other athletes stood against BJP’s Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Despite being vilified online, detained by the police, and almost discarding their medals in the Ganges, Phogat’s win is seen as a moment of redemption.
Also Read: Vinesh Phogat Creates History! Through To The Final; Medal Confirmed For India
— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) March 12, 2024
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A March 2024 post by Phogat has resurfaced online after her Olympic feat. The post read: ‘Dear haters, I have so much more for you to be mad at. Just be patient,’ and has garnered over 1.2 million views on X. Comments celebrating her resilience have flooded social media.
Phogat’s semi-final win guarantees her a silver medal and sets her on the path for gold. “Gold laana hai (Have to bring gold),” she told her emotional mother Premlata via video call after the match.
