New Delhi: Indian hockey legend and Paris Olympics bronze medalist PR Sreejesh praised former wrestler Vinesh Phogat for her remarkable performances at the games, despite her disqualification from the final. He expressed hope that Phogat would still be awarded a silver medal for her efforts. In the wake of her disqualification, Vinesh Phogat announced her retirement from wrestling, marking the end of a significant chapter in Indian sports.
Phogat had advanced to the gold medal bout by defeating Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez 5-0 in the semi-finals on Tuesday night. She was set to compete against the United States’ Sarah Ann Hildebrandt for the gold medal but was disqualified on Wednesday for breaching the weight limit. While starting off her campaign, Vinesh captured one of the biggest wins of her career in the round of 16, beating the top seed and the Tokyo 2020 champion Yui Susaki of Japan.
After her disqualification, Phogat requested the CAS to award her the silver medal.
Speaking at the press conference at the India House in Paris, Sreejesh said, “What Vinesh Phogat did is a very big thing. She had to face a lot last year but she showed sportsmanship and reached the finals of the Paris Olympics. It was really shocking for all of us to know that after reaching the finals, she was not going to get a medal. We are all standing with her and we pray to god that there is a positive result and we get a silver medal.”
The Court of Arbitration For Sport (CAS) will announce the verdict at 6 pm Paris time and 9:30 IST.
CAS has established an ad hoc division in Paris, led by President Michael Lenard from the US, to handle cases during the Olympics. This division is located within the Paris judicial court in the 17th arrondissement.
In an emotional post on X announcing her retirement, Phogat expressed her sense of gratitude.
“Maa kushti (wrestling) won against me, I lost. Forgive me, your dream and my courage have been broken. I don’t have any more strength now. Goodbye Wrestling 2001-2024. I will always be indebted to you all for forgiveness.”
In a fine career, Vinesh secured two World Championships bronze medals (2019 and 2022), an Asian Games gold (2018) and bronze (2014) and three Commonwealth Games gold medals (2014, 2018, 2022). She was also a gold medalist in the Asian Championships 2021 and has won silver and bronze at the continental level too.
