Credit: X
Abhinav Bindra, the first individual gold medallist for India at the Olympic Games, posted a heartfelt message for Vinesh Phogat on his official X account after meeting her at the Paris 2024 Athletes Village. The 41-year-old called Vinesh Phogat a fighter who embodies “the true spirit of a warrior,” following her disqualification from the women’s 50kg wrestling event in Paris.
After defeating three of the top fighters in the world, including the undefeated Yui Susaki of Japan, Vinesh Phogat reached the final of the women’s 50kg wrestling event in Paris 2024. But, in a cruel twist of fate, she got disqualified from the Olympics altogether after failing to meet the 50kg weight requirement by 100 gms on the next morning before taking on Sarah Ann Hildebrandt in the gold medal match at the Champ de Mars Arena.
Before her disqualification from the Paris Olympics 2024, Vinesh Phogat took extreme measures to cut down her weight overnight, to stay eligible to participate in the final. It led to her getting hospitalised in Paris, where PT Usha, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President, and the other officials met and consoled her.
Abhinav Bindra also shared a couple of pictures with Vinesh Phogat on his official X account after meeting her at the Olympic Village, and wrote, “Dear Vinesh, It is said that sport is a celebration of human will. I have known that to be true many times in my career but never has it resonated more than today. As I look around me, I see a nation and its people celebrate your unyielding resolve. You are a fighter – on and off the mat. Through you, we are learning what it means to never lose the fight in us, even as a loss weighs heavily. You embody the true spirit of a warrior.”
“Not all victories look alike. Some end up as a glittering souvenir in a cabinet but the ones that matter more find their way into the stories we tell our children. And every child in this country will know the champion you are. Every child will grow up wanting to face life with the resilience you have displayed. I thank you for that,” he added.
