Vinesh Phogat issues first statement after Paris Olympics setback, extends gratitude to family, support staff

After the Court of Arbitration for Sports' (CAS) turned down Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat's appeal of giving her a joint-silver in Paris Olympics 2024, the 29-year-old issued her first statement via an emotional post on Instagram.

She began her post with an ode to her childhood dreams. "Olympic rings: as a small girl from a small village I did not know what was the Olympics or what these rings meant. As a small girl, I dream of things like long hair, flaunting a mobile phone in my hand and doing all these things that any young girl would normally dream of..."

Phogat shared a heartfelt message reflecting on her wrestling journey from childhood, further extending gratitude to the support she received from her parents and family, despite numerous setbacks and heartbreaks. 

In her post, Vinesh also expressed gratitude to her support staff, including Dr Dinshaw Padiwalla, the Chief Medical Officer appointed by the IOA for the Indian contingent at the Paris Olympics 2024, CDM Gagan Narang, among others.

Vinesh recounted her early dreams, her father's hopes, and her mother's struggles, which shaped her resilience. The Indian wrestler credited her husband, Somvir, for being her unwavering support through the highs and lows. 

On the wrestlers protest, Phogat stated, "During the wrestlers protest I was fighting hard to protect the sanctity of women in India, the sanctity and values of our Indian flag. But when I look at the pictures of me with the Indian flag from 28th May 2023, it haunts me. It was my wish to have the Indian flag fly high this Olympics, to have a picture of the Indian flag with me that truly represents it's value and restores it's sanctity. I felt that by doing this it will correctly reprimand what the flag went through and what wrestling went through. I really was hoping to show that to my fellow Indians." 

"Maybe under different circumstances, I could see myself playing till 2032, because the fight in me and wrestling in me will always be there. I can't predict what the future holds for me, and what awaits me in this journey next, but I am sure that I will continue to fight always for what I believe in and for the right thing," Vinesh wrote in the concluding part of that note.

Vinesh was disqualified from the 50kg women’s freestyle wrestling final for being overweight by approximately 100 grams.