‘Dream of an Olympic medal keeps me going' - Vinesh Phogat gets emotional after securing Paris 2024 quota
Vinesh Phogat obtained an Olympic quota in the women’s 50kg category from the Asian Wrestling Qualifiers. Here’s what the Indian wrestler said after achieving her goal.
Obtaining a Paris 2024 quota in women’s 50kg at the Asian Wrestling Olympic Qualifiers in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on Saturday was an emotional affair for Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat.
A two-time Olympian and world championships medallist, Vinesh’s Paris 2024 Olympic credential has been called into question since Antim Panghal’s emergence over the past couple of years.
While Vinesh struggled with injuries and off-the-mat affairs, Antim established herself as India’s premier women’s 53kg category, Vinesh’s pet event, and even secured India a Paris 2024 quota in the division at the World Wrestling Championships last year.
The development prompted Vinesh to take a drastic step. The 29-year-old opted to drop her weight to 50kg to chase her dream of competing at Paris 2024.
The Indian wrestler took a big step towards making it a reality after securing one of the two quotas available in the division at Bishkek. She had to win three bouts back-to-back against top-quality opponents to obtain her quota.
“I have fought two battles - one regarding weight cut (53kg to 50kg) and the other is the competition,” an emotional Vinesh said after securing the hard-earned quota. “On the mat, every performer becomes highly competitive. I had to switch weight class because of compulsion, not by choice. But I’m proud of having secured the quota for my country in 50kg.”
Interestingly, the continental qualifiers were also Vinesh’s first international competition since the world championships in September 2022, where she won a bronze medal in the 53kg.
Vinesh attempted to stage a return at the Budapest Ranking Series in Hungary last year but was forced to pull out due to an illness. A knee injury then kept her out for the remainder of the season.
“I had been away from the mat for one-and-a-half years and I had to have an operation. Many people had suggested not to take part in the 50kg because it might lead to an injury relapse but I didn’t have an option. It was a do-or-die situation for me,” Vinesh pointed out.
The two-time Olympian, however, realises that the quota is just the first step of the journey and the real work starts now.
“There are four months left and every single day will be important to me in the build-up to the Olympics. The focus will be on trying my best. I’ve been doing this for 20 years in the hopes of winning an Olympic medal keeps me going.”
Asked how she managed the pressure of competing at such a high-stakes tournament after a long layoff, Vinesh admitted that she was nervous.
“In any other competition, the pressure might not have been this immense. There was a lot of mental pressure and I had no idea how my body would move on the mat because I have cut weight. Secondly, I’m recently returning from injury so that was also on my mind,” she said.
“It’s been difficult so far, but when you win, it seems like all the struggles were worth it. I’ll probably feel at peace with myself for the next four-five days but the Olympics are the main target. I’ll try to achieve what I couldn’t in the last two Olympics.”