Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat defeated Yusneylis Guzman Lopez of Cuba by 5-0 to enter the Olympics 2024 women’s wrestling 50kg final.
With that Vinesh became the first Indian woman to enter the wrestling final at the Olympics.
Earlier in the day, she stunned world no. 1 and defending champion Yui Susaki of Japan in the Round of 16, before edging out Ukraine’s Oksana Livach in the quarterfinals.
Vinesh will take on USA wrestler Sarah Hildebrandt in the final.
Indian Olympic gold medalist shooter Abhinav Bindra was perfect in summing up her struggle on the wrestling mats and all the odds she was fighting to reach the final of the mega sporting event: “A torn ligament. A lower weight category. An unbeaten world champion. Nothing stands in her way. Can’t wait to cheer @Phogat_Vinesh as she goes for gold. Your resilience and strength inspire us all. What an inspiring day, here’s hoping for one more! #Paris2024.”
Vinesh’s road to the Olympic final has been a long and tough journey since she was also fighting issues off the wrestling mat.
Last year, she was joined by other prominent wrestlers of the country when they protested on the streets of New Delhi demanding the arrest of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Bris Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Singh was accused of sexually harassing several female athletes, an episode that triggered a national controversy.
In a shocking turn of events, the protesting wrestlers were forcefully detained by the police.
In December last year, the Indian Sports Ministry of India suspended the newly-formed Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) body led by Sanjay Singh, who is a close aide of BJP MP and former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Singh was elected the new president of the wrestling body.
