Vinesh Phogat becomes first Indian woman wrestler to enter Olympics final

On Tuesday, Vinesh Phogat made history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final. She achieved this by defeating Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez 5-0 in the women’s freestyle 50kg semi-final. Although Phogat has secured a silver medal with her semifinal win, she is now setting her sights on gold in the final.

Both wrestlers began the match cautiously, but a passivity clock on Lopez allowed Vinesh to score a technical point after the Cuban wrestler played it safe. Vinesh led 1-0 at the end of the first period. She then built on her advantage in the second period, adding four more points to secure the victory.

Earlier in the day, Phogat defeated Ukraine’s Oksana Livach in the last-eight stage after causing the biggest wrestling upset in this games when she shocked four-time world champion and reigning gold-medallist Yui Susaki of Japan on points to enter the quarter-finals. Vinesh had failed to win a medal in her two previous Olympic appearances.

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Phogat’s Path to Victory Marked by Struggles

Phogat’s journey to this achievement has faced significant hurdles. In the past year and a half, she accused the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) of obstructing her Olympic qualifier participation by imposing logistical challenges on her support staff. The WFI refuted these claims, stating that Phogat’s request for accreditation for her coach and physio was submitted after the deadline.

Vinesh Phogat Expresses Concerns Over Doping and Support Issues

Phogat has expressed fears of being caught in a doping scandal, alleging that some federation-appointed coaches might undermine her efforts. On her ‘X’ page, she claimed, “Brij Bhushan and his proxy Sanjay Singh are doing everything possible to prevent me from competing in the Olympics.” She also criticized the fairness of the support she’s receiving, highlighting the lack of accreditation for her personal coach and physio.

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