A file photograph of Vinesh Phogat.
| Photo Credit: AP
Locking the Olympic quota would put Vinesh Phogat relaxed for a few days however the fiery Indian wrestler says sustaining weight having dropped to the bottom class of 50kg will be a enormous challenge within the build-up to the Paris Games.
Vinesh dished out a formidable present on the Asian Olympic Qualifiers, the place she didn’t concede a single level in a straightforward draw and sealed her third consecutive Olympic quota.
Vinesh, 29, misplaced essential mat-time for one and a half years because of the protest in opposition to former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and in that interval, Antim Panghal secured a quota place in 53kg class — a pet weight division of Vinesh.
The most profitable girl wrestler from the nation had no possibility however to change the weight class to make sure that she doesn’t miss the bus to Olympics.
“I will have to manage my weight a lot better. I have brought myself down to 50kg after so long so I will try and maintain this as much as I can. It’s not easy for me not to put on weight because my muscle mass is very high,” Vinesh mentioned after successful the 50kg quota for India.
“Because of that, I gain weight easily. It doesn’t matter how fit I am, I still gain weight because I have a lot of muscle mass. I just want to control my weight. I have four months left, and every day is very important,” she was quoted as saying by official UWW web site.
“I did the weight switch because I didn’t have any option, not out of happiness. But I won a quota for my country in the 50kg category. I am happy that I can go to the Olympics. Whether I go in the 50kg category or in the 53kg category, that will be decided in the trials, but, whatever it is, I won a quota for my country.” Vinesh has already suffered heartbreaks on the Rio Olympics and Tokyo Games the place she was eradicated fairly early regardless of being a medal favorite.
Now she needs to finish the unfinished enterprise.
“I just want to try my best. It’s been 20 years since I’ve been wrestling. I just want an Olympic medal. Everyone is working for that.” Vinesh had claimed that she fought despair and was even struck by COVID-19 and add to that the extended protest and authorized battle in opposition to the then WFI chief, the psychological strain was immense.
She nonetheless got here out and carried out in Bishkek.
“It was difficult but when you win, everything becomes worth it. I will say that I will be at peace for four to five days, but my main target is the Olympics. I will try to do what I couldn’t do in the last two Olympics. I can do better at this Olympics.” Vinesh dismissed the view that it was a straightforward job for her in Bishkek since sturdy wrestlers weren’t a part of the competitors.
“Competition is competition. It is not that only if China and Japan are competing alongside you that it becomes a competition. Everyone becomes strong on the mat.” She is among the most achieved girl wrestlers from India with two Worlds medals, a number of Asian and Asian Games titles to her title.
Now she is decided so as to add that lacking Olympic medal to her bulging trophy cupboard.
“It’s taken so much hard work and struggle. I have been away from the mat for 1-1/2 years. I have come back after an operation. Many people have suggested that I should not go in the 50kg category because I could get injured again.
“But I didn’t have any possibility. It was a do-or-die scenario. I selected the die possibility.”
