The Vinesh Phogat redemption: From controversial protests to coveted Olympic medal

She was acutely aware of the significance of her win in upending Cubarsquos Yusneylis Guzman Lopez in the semifinals Overcome with emotion she leaped into the air before collapsing onto the mat tears streaming down her faceOn Tuesday Vinesh P became the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final securing her place with a commanding 50 victory over Cubas Yusneylis Guzman Lopez This semifinal triumph guarantees her at least a silver medalThe bout began cautiously but a passivity penalty on Lopez allowed Vinesh to score an early technical point after the Cuban wrestler chose not to take risks At the end of the first period Vinesh led 10 In the second period she further solidified her control by adding four more points to clinch the match decisivelyEarlier Vinesh advanced to the semifinals with two remarkable victories first against reigning Olympic champion Yui Susaki of Japan and then against Ukraines eighthseeded Oksana Livach It was a historic day for the tenacious Indian grappler marked by her exceptional performancesOver the past 18 months Vinesh has navigated a series of formidable challenges Until recently the 29yearold wrestler has been a prominent figure in protests against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh the former chief of the Wrestling Federation of India WFIBelow is a detailed timeline of the events that have shaped her recent journeyJanuary 2023 On January 18 Vinesh along with fellow wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik initiated a protest at Jantar Mantar against Brij Bhushan accusing him of sexual misconduct and intimidation They demanded his resignation and the dissolution of the WFI The protest was temporarily suspended on January 21 after a meeting with thenSports Minister Anurag Thakur who promised the formation of an Oversight Committee OC to investigate the allegationsApril 2023 The WFI announced that elections would be held in May following the submission of the OC report to the Sports Ministry This announcement prompted Vinesh to delay her training plans in Sweden for the Asian Games and World Championships On April 23 the wrestlers resumed their protest at Jantar MantarMay 2023 On the day of the inauguration of the new Parliament Vinesh Bajrang Sakshi and other wrestlers were detained by Delhi Police after attempting a march toward the building Two days later the wrestlers travelled to Haridwar and immersed their medals in the river Ganga as a symbolic gesture of protestJune 2023 The wrestlers agreed to pause their protest after receiving assurances from the government that the police investigation into Brij Bhushan would be concluded and that the WFI elections would be held by June 30August 2023 Vinesh who had received a direct entry to the Asian Games suffered a knee injury during training which prevented her from competing in the event in Hangzhou The Indian Olympic Associations adhoc committee exempted Vinesh and Bajrang from the Asian Games trials Concurrently Brij Bhushan and Vinesh exchanged accusations over the WFIrsquos suspension by United World Wrestling UWW due to the failure to hold timely electionsDecember 2023 Following the election of Sanjay Singh a supporter of Brij Bhushan as the new WFI president Vinesh and other wrestlers protested the outcome Sakshi Malik announced her retirement while Vinesh and Bajrang returned their Khel Ratna and Arjuna Awards to the government in protestFebruary 2024 In a positive turn the UWW lifted the provisional suspension of the WFI stipulating that no discriminatory actions would be taken against Bajrang Sakshi or Vinesh Vineshrsquos return to competitive wrestling was marked by her gold medal victory in the 55kg category at the national championships her first major win in over 16 monthsMarch 2024 In a remarkable feat Vinesh competed in two Olympic weight categories 50kg and 53kg on the same day She triumphed in the lighter division at the selection trials for both the Asian Wrestling Championships and the Asian Olympic Games qualifiersApril 2024 Vinesh secured her Paris Olympics quota in the womenrsquos 50kg category by reaching the final at the Asian Olympic qualifier where she defeated Laura Ganikyzy in the semifinals The WFI announced that Olympic trials would not be conducted and wrestlers who secured quotas would represent India in ParisAugust 2024 At the Paris Olympics Vinesh delivered an extraordinary performance by defeating Yui Susaki of Japan the reigning Olympic champion and fourtime World Champion with a score of 32 to advance to the quarterfinals She later overcame the threetime Commonwealth Games gold medallist Oksana Livach to reach the Olympic semifinals for the first timeVineshrsquos journey reflects both her resilience and determination underscoring her significant contributions to Indian wrestling amid personal and professional challenges