The Lasting Legacy of Vinesh Phogat

Vinesh Phogat is not defined by her Olympic achievements, but she has ignited a social movement that cannot be reversed. While she has inspired a nation with her success in international wrestling, Vinesh Phogat’s fight for justice is what exemplifies her legacy.

Vinesh Phogat – International Wrestling

The Phogat sisters are famous in India for their wrestling success. Together they have won 10 gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, plus a whole bunch of medals at the Asian Games and World Championships. They even include a top MMA fighter, Ritu Phogat. A blockbuster movie was also made in their honor, which broke all box office records. However, despite their incredible success, the sisters have yet to win a medal at the Olympics.

Olympic wrestling

In the run-up to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Vinesh Phogat was the favourite to win a medal for India. Having achieved top positions at the Asian and Commonwealth Games, she was a clear contender to take home some goods on the podium.

Shockingly, she defeated Yui Susaki early in the tournament; this was an incredible feat. Japan’s Susaki won Olympic gold in 2020 and went without conceding a single point that entire year. In fact, Susaki had gone undefeated in 24 consecutive international tournaments and had an impeccable 82-0 record.

Her first loss came at the hands of Vinesh, who celebrated with tears in her eyes. It was a moment that changed the landscape of wrestling. Suddenly, the clear favorite had lost and a new hope had emerged. The Japanese-born athlete couldn’t believe it had happened, she said. “I didn’t know if it was real or not.”

With the nation of India behind her, Vinesh Phogat started a campaign for gold. She went on to win two more matches to qualify for the finals. Even Indian Prime Minister Modi came out in support of Vinesh. In an interview, the national leader said, “Vinesh became the first Indian woman to reach the finals in wrestling, which is a matter of great pride for all of us.

But her defeat came not on the mat, but on the scales. Despite training all night, sweating, jumping, cutting her hair and even donating blood, Vinesh could not make the weight limit. As a result, she was disqualified. India tried to appeal the decision, but it was rejected. The Indian-born wrestler had had enough and declared that she was retiring: “My spirit is broken, I have no strength left now. Goodbye wrestling, 2001-2024.”

No medal and a heartbreaking end for her and the Phogat family. But if Vinesh Phogat never wrestles another day in her life, her legacy is secure because she fought for something bigger off the mat. Justice.

Vinesh Phogat – Protests and Sexual Abuse

Women around the world have consistently faced sexual abuse from men who all too often go unpunished. In the world of sports in particular, men have benefited from a position of power over women. In a conversation with two-time Olympic medalist Kayla Harrison, she described her experiences of sexual abuse from those in power. It usually comes from those students trust the most. Kayla Harrison said:

More than 75 percent of the time, it’s known friends of the family: uncles, the coach, the neighbors, people you know. And that’s a scary thing to think about as a parent. It’s scary, but unfortunately it’s important that we think about it … Why would you just hand your kids over to a coach, a tutor, or whoever, and say, “Here, make my kid the next Gabby Douglas, make my kid the next Michael Phelps, make my kid a genius”? We really have to be careful.

This is exactly what Vinesh Phogat tried to stop. For the past two years, Vinesh has led protest marches against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and its president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Several women have come forward and accused Singh of sexual harassment, adding that there was no oversight or accountability. This led to huge protests across India and the movement gained international attention. Her efforts were part of a larger fight for justice and change, highlighting the importance of creating a supportive environment for women in sports.

Vinesh faced a lot of backlash from those in power, the general public and the police. Many women at these protests, including Vinesh, were detained by the police and often faced physical confrontations. The police did not face any repercussions for this. She also faced smear campaigns. Despite all this, she knew that her struggle was just and that her will could not be broken.

In her own words, Vinesh Phogat said:

“I have only felt a deep sense of humiliation since I gathered the courage to protest… It was the same disgusting pattern over and over again and I am one of the victims. The fact that no one listened to us forced me and others to start a public protest because we wanted the nation to know how elite athletes were being mistreated.

“We wanted Singh to be dragged out of his house, but because he is a powerful man, he is wandering around and we are told to stay at home..”

Ultimately, the protests were successful. The IOC wants to change its standards. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the former head of the WFI, has been removed from his position and will appear before a Delhi court on the charges. The court said:

“The allegations reveal a pattern of behavior by the defendant who abused his position of power to sexually assault and intimidate female wrestlers over several years… The allegations demonstrate that the crimes committed against the victims were not random, but were part of an ongoing chain of events, indicating a premeditated strategy to repeatedly target vulnerable victims over several years. The modus operandi is consistent, i.e., abusing power and opportunity to intimidate subordinates.”

Vinesh Phogat’s protests were heavily criticized, but she stood her ground. It resulted in immediate change. Nationally and internationally, these movements contributed to a broader conversation about women’s safety, both in sports and in general. Vinesh Phogat and her fight for justice are a better legacy than a gold medal.