Vinesh Phogat pens emotional note after Paris Olympics squall, says ’Survival taught me a lot

Vinesh Phogat, the ace grappler, penned a heartfelt note of gratitude ahead of return to her home country after the Court of Arbitration Sport (CAS) dismissed her plea for a ‘silver medal’ at Paris Olympics 2024.

The 29-year-old wrestler was left heartbroken and disappointed even after her statement performances at the Summer Games this year.

In a social media post on X (formerly Twitter), expressing gratitude the wrestler penned a heartfelt note dedicated to all the people who contributed towards her goal and were a part of her journey over the past few years. She thanked her support team, including Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, Dr Wayne Patrick Lombard, Coach Woller Akos, Physio Ashwini Jeevan Patil, Tajinder Kaur, Olympic Gold Quest team and Gagan Narang among others for their contributions.

The letter begins with, “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.”

The letter further notes, “But survival taught me a lot. Seeing my mother's hardships, never-give-up attitude and fighting spirit is what makes me the way I am. She taught me to fight for what is rightfully mine. When I think about courage I think about her and it is this courage that helps me fight every fight without thinking about the outcome.”

After a triumphant victory in the semi-final 50 Kg women’s freestyle wrestling match, Vinesh Phogat made it to the finals of the Olympic games but was disqualified for breaching weight criteria by 100 grams.

On August 7, she approached the Court of Arbitration for Sports to file a petition to grant her a silver medal, but on Wednesday, the CAS released a statement confirming the dismissal of her application. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said it is “exploring further legal options” after the wrestler's plea was dismissed.

A day earlier, Vinesh Phogat posted a picture on her Instagram handle. The post, with no caption, suggests emotional distress over the verdict, as it shows the wrestler lying down on a mat with her hands covering her eyes.