The Wrestling Nationals are in full swing in Jaipur, and finally, there’s some good news coming from the mat for the protesting wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who claimed a gold medal in the women’s 55kg freestyle category. The two-time World Championships bronze medalist was out of action for 16 months, first due to her fight against Brij Bhushan Singh, and then knee surgery.
But for now, her progress seems to be on track. What was even more heartening to see was, Sakshi Malik, presenting her the gold medal, after her win, who too was an active part of the wrestlers’ protest.
Speaking to NNIS, after Vinesh’s gold, Sakshi, an Olympics bronze medalist, said that the former had proved her worth by winning the top prize. She also made it clear, that he had been getting phone calls from wrestlers, who are forced to participate at the Wrestling Nationals organised by the suspended WFI in Pune.
“We never wanted to go to the Olympics directly. Our fight was for truth only. I am just happy after Vinesh’s gold, and I just hope she gets more medals for the country,” Sakshi said.
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Talking about the other nationals, Sakshi added, “A few wrestlers called me up to tell me that they were not being sent to Jaipur for the competition. There was a lot of confusion among the wrestlers, but eventually, we had participation from all the states here.”
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