Dubai: “For men may come and men may go, But I go on forever,” wrote Alfred Lord Tennyson in his immortal poem The Brook. This sentiment holds true in every sphere of life, and especially in sports.
There may be individuals who go on to become legends, greats, and stars, but none is bigger than the sport itself.
This was the message India’s Vinesh Phogat conveyed when she announced her retirement from wrestling after being eliminated from the final of the 50kg bout in the Paris Olympics, failing to stay under the weight category by just 100 grams.
“Mother wrestling won against me, I lost. Your dreams and my courage are shattered,” the 29-year-old wrote on the social media platform X. “I don’t have any more strength now. Goodbye wrestling 2001-2024. I will forever be indebted to you all. Sorry.”
Heartbreak in Paris
Phogat, who has won three Commonwealth Games gold medals, was set to face Sarah Hildebrandt of the United States for the gold medal on Wednesday in Paris but was found to be 100 grams over the 50kg limit.
Indian media reported that Phogat has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against her disqualification and demanded a joint silver be awarded. CAS is expected to announce its verdict on the case later Thursday in Paris.
The decision to compete at 50kg
But what made Phogat opt for the 50kg weight category and not her preferred 53kg category? The double World Championships bronze medallist competed in both 50kg and 53kg on the same day in the national trials for the Asian Wrestling Championships and Asian Olympic Games Qualifiers.
Vinesh rallied to beat national champion Nirmala Devi 10-0 in the semi-final and Shivanee Pawar 11-6 in the 50kg final, giving herself a chance to win a quota place in the lower weight.
However, in her bid to dethrone Antim Panghal from the 53kg category, Vinesh lost to Anju in the semi-finals, thereby losing the chance to compete in her usual weight class. Had Vinesh won the bout, she could have been the challenger to Panghal.
The irony and controversy
Ironically, Panghal, who lost to Zeynep Yetgil of Turkey in the women’s 53kg freestyle round of 16 bout, also got embroiled in another controversy and was sent back home along with her entourage.
Phogat, who passed the weigh-in on day one, stunned four-time world and defending Olympic champion Yui Susaki of Japan in the opener with a late takedown to claim a 3-2 decision en route to the final.
But Phogat was overweight on the morning of the final, despite the wrestler and her team working overnight to cut the kilos through exercise and sauna. Videos of Phogat with chopped hair and sunken eyes, working out to reduce her weight in a last-ditch effort to compete in the final, went viral on Wednesday.
Phogat was in the public eye for months last year as part of a long-running protest against the then-chief of Indian wrestling, who was embroiled in a sexual harassment scandal.
