Vinesh Phogat’s Battle On and Off the Mat

Vinesh Phogat, the pride of Haryana, who was to become the first Indian female wrestler to compete in the Olympic finals, missed out on the Olympic medal after being disqualified from the game, the reason being that she failed the weigh-in for the 50kg final event on Wednesday morning. Phogat was about 100 grams over the limit of 50 kg and was hence disqualified.

The weight cut is a battle that athletes in combat sports have to compulsorily fight through before a competition. Vinesh Phogat, whose dream run at the Paris Olympics came to a morale-shattering halt, was no exception.

To cut down on weight, Vinesh drew out blood and also cut her hair. She spent the entire night desperately rummaging about for ways to decrease her weight. But all were in vain. Post the weigh-in the next morning, she was eliminated from the competition for falling short of a meagre margin of just 100 grams.

Phogat deserves to be extensively commended not only for having fought her battle on the synthetic mat, but also in January 2023 on the sidewalks of New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar in the skin-scorching North Indian heat against the unjust system in power. Being one of the leading faces of the wrestlers’ protest against Brij Bhushan Singh, the unforgivable offender who assaulted female wrestlers at large, she was trampled on and hit by the police for standing up for what’s right. But never did she accept defeat.

Vinesh Phogat is a fighter who trudged on to the Olympic finals, representing the very country that failed her. Yet, fate didn’t permit her to emerge victorious on her way, therefore, or even compete for the prestigious title.

This is how the light in her slowly began to dim down, following which she announced her resignation as a wrestler a day after her disqualification. The nation watched in stunned silence as the news broke—this wasn’t just the end of a career, but the closing chapter of a truly inspiring legacy.

Taking to social media, Vinesh wrote, “Mother, wrestling beat me, I lost. Your dream and my courage are all broken. I don’t have any more strength now. Goodbye Wrestling 2001-2024. I will forever be in your debt.”

However, Phogat submitted a plea to The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against her disqualification from the Paris Olympics and sought to be awarded a joint silver medal. Senior advocate Haris Salve represented Phogat at the CAS hearing.

Her appeal was based on the following arguments:

(i) She successfully passed the weigh-on on August 6 and won thrice, earning a place in the finals.

(ii) After the matches, she received the proper nutrition necessary for recovery, not an unfair advantage.

The entire nation stood strong and awaited the court hearing for the phenomenal Vinesh Phogat who continued to fight through the police’s beatings and who would hopefully continue to fight in court for justice. But her petition for being awarded the silver medal was dismissed by the CAS. The verdict prompted an outpour of dismay and upset. The dismissal felt like a blow to the very spirit of justice that she had tirelessly fought to uphold.

In every home, in every heart, she remains a symbol of an unyielding journey for what is right. Vinesh’s world came crashing down yet again, one bout away from redemption. Recovery at this point seems unthinkable.

The arena that once echoed with her fierce determination, shall now feel the weight of her absence, a reminder of the toll that relentless battles, both on and off the mat, can take on even the strongest of warriors who get pushed to their breaking point, time and again.

Broken but not beaten, time will aid her in gathering strength from the very pain that once consumed her. The nation only hopes for Phogat to stay strong and rise from this setback- the 'defeat' that touched her, but could never claim her.