Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, May 30: After winning the intense legal battle both in the Delhi High Court and later in the Supreme Court to be able to compete in the selection trials, ace wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s dream to represent India in the coming Asian Games was shattered on Saturday as she lost her semi-final bout to Meenakshi Goyat to bow out of contest but only after a promise that she would return to the ring.
Meenakshi Goyat defeated Vinesh Phogat 6-4 in in a tense semi-final bout of the Asian Games trials for women’s 53kg category. The loss will dash Vinesh’s hopes of a comeback and her chances of securing a berth at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan later this year. Earlier, Vinesh had summoned her years of experience to prevail in a fiercely fought bout against a super aggressive Nishu to reach the semi-finals. The encounter proved to be one of the most competitive matches of the day at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. Neither wrestler was able to create a significant gap on the scoreboard for long periods, with points exchanged throughout the contest. When the decisive moments arrived, Meenakshi capitalised on her opportunities and protected a narrow advantage to complete a 6-4 win.
The result closed the curtain on Vinesh’s campaign, which had begun earlier in the day with a strong return to competitive action. Making her first appearance since the Paris Olympics, she opened her challenge with a convincing performance against Jyoti in the Round of 16. Despite receiving a passivity warning during the bout, Vinesh quickly settled into her rhythm and controlled proceedings on her way to a 7-1 victory.
A brief technical interruption affected the schedule when the review monitor on Mat 1 stopped functioning, forcing officials to pause competition for around ten minutes. The stoppage had little impact on Vinesh, who returned for a dramatic quarterfinal clash against Nishu.
That contest appeared to be slipping away as Vinesh trailed by five points with only three minutes left. The momentum shifted during a pinning sequence that triggered the first review challenge of the bout. Another challenge followed after an arm throw was awarded fewer points than her camp expected. Although the second appeal was unsuccessful, Vinesh recovered sufficiently to edge ahead and eventually seal a 7-6 victory.
The quarterfinal also witnessed heated scenes away from the action. Vinesh’s husband, Somvir Rathee, entered the competition area to question officiating decisions. The situation escalated further amid disagreements over video footage, drawing Wrestling Federation of India president Sanjay Singh and members of his entourage into a verbal confrontation with Vinesh’s camp.
Vinesh remained composed through the turbulence and advanced to the semi-finals, where Meenakshi ended her run. Even though she was disappointed, Vinesh confirmed that she will be returning soon. “Mai phir aaungi (I’ll come back),” Vinesh said before leaving the arena—loud enough to be heard by the top brass of Indian wrestling.
But there was no lack of drama at the selection trials. The star wrestler —returning to competition almost two years after the Paris Olympics heartbreak — lost an ill-tempered bout marred by repeated interference from supporters of both the camps.
Vinesh started tentatively and conceded a point for passivity early on before Meenakshi earned a couple by pushing her out and taking control to race to a 4-1 lead. Vinesh then took her down for two points but Meenakshi effected one of her own to make it 6-3. A successful last-gasp challenge from Vinesh made it 6-4 but the scoreline made no difference to the result. Meenakshi, however, was unable to repeat her performance in the final, losing 2-3 to Antim Panghal in another ugly bout, refusing to accept the decision or vacate the mat for a long time.
While it was expected to be a tough fight — Meenakshi won silver at the Asian Championships last month — it was the previous bout against the unheralded Nishu that really tested Vinesh, who was brought down in an open throw by the youngster for a four-pointer and almost pinned to the mat, only to be saved by the bell for the end of the first period.
The break helped Vinesh regroup and effect a four-pointer of her own and then a take down to edge ahead 6-5 before losing a challenge and conceding a point to be tied 6-6. Nishu’s challenge at the final hooter was unsuccessful as Vinesh’s 7-6 victory came with a reality check, having won 7-1 against Jyoti in her opening bout. It was also the most ill-tempered bout of the day, stretching to almost 20 minutes with opposing groups getting into a tussle, Vinesh’s husband Somvir, as coach, repeatedly coming onto the mat and frequent interruptions.
Earlier in the day, two-time world championships medallist Vinesh was allowed to compete in the women’s 53kg category after the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) reversed its earlier stand of restricting her participation to the 50kg division.
The dramatic turn of events came during the official weigh-in on Saturday morning when Vinesh was informed that she would be permitted to compete only in the 50kg category, citing her participation in that weight class in her last four international events, including the Paris Olympics. The wrestler strongly objected to the decision and accused the federation of discriminating against her by denying her the opportunity to compete in a category of her choice.
Sources present at the venue said the matter escalated before WFI president Sanjay Singh intervened and decided to allow Vinesh to enter the 53kg trials as well. “We allowed her after she threw accusations and asked the officials to take her weight,” WFI President Sanjay Singh said.
“We do not want to discriminate against anyone. She did not inform us of which category she wants to compete and still letting her.” Vinesh subsequently weighed in at 53.9kg and was accommodated in the 53kg draw. In a brief chat with media while preparing, Vinesh said, “I am here for at least two years.” The development was a significant climb-down by the WFI, which had maintained that Vinesh would be considered only for the 50kg category.
The federation’s argument was that the wrestler had consistently competed in that division in recent international competitions and had not formally intimated the WFI about switching categories for the trials.
The issue had already generated considerable controversy after the Delhi High Court directed the WFI to treat Vinesh as an “iconic player” and allow her to participate in the Asian Games selection trials. Vinesh, however, has competed in multiple weight divisions during her career, including 53kg, and was keen to contest the trials in that category.
Final Asian Games squad: 50kg: Dipanshee; 53kg: Antim Panghal; 57kg: Manisha; 62kg: Bhagyashree; 68kg: Nisha Dahiya; 76kg: Priya.