Wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s dream of medal in Asian Games shattered, young wrestler Meenakshi suffered a crushing defeat in the semi-finals.
Delhi. Olympian woman wrestler Vinesh Phogat failed to qualify for the Asian Games in the trials held on Saturday. 31-year-old Vinesh was defeated by Meenakshi Goyat in the semi-finals of 53 kg category. Today, Meenakshi Goyat defeated Vinesh Phogat 6-4 in the semi-final match of women’s 53 kg selection trials at Indira Gandhi Stadium here. With this defeat Vinesh Phogat was out of the Asian Games selection trials.
In the first round match, Vinesh Phogat defeated Jyoti of Haryana 7-1. After this, Vinesh defeated Nishu in the next round. With the score tied at 6-6, Vinesh went ahead on criteria. Nishu attempted a take down but was not given points. Nishu’s coach challenged the decision but he lost and Vinesh walked off the mat with a sigh of relief. Shocked by the decision, Nishu refused to shake hands with the referee and Vinesh and stood emotional on the mat for a long time.
Husband Somveer Rathi’s argument with security personnel due to trials
Even before the competition started, there was some drama in the trials as Vinesh and her husband Somveer Rathi had an argument with the security personnel regarding their entry into the venue. Later the matter was resolved and he was allowed to enter the stadium. A new controversy also emerged during the weigh-in process when Vinesh was initially placed in the 50 kg weight category. The wrestler objected to this and said that she wanted to compete in her favorite 53 kg division.
Participated in 53 kg weight category
After the intervention of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Sanjay Singh, his weight was recorded in the 53 kg category, allowing him to participate in the trials. Speaking to the media, Vinesh expressed her unhappiness over the process, and claimed that she had to wait for almost an hour for the weigh-in and faced many difficulties before getting the permission. She said that she had brought her own diet and food arrangements, and said that she is still fighting her battle.
Trials a day after permission from Supreme Court
The trials took place a day after Vinesh got permission from the Supreme Court to participate. On May 28, the Wrestling Federation of India approached the Supreme Court to ban him from participating in the trials. However, a bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe rejected the plea, paving the way for his joining. The WFI later said that Vinesh, along with all other eligible wrestlers, reported for the weigh-in and completed the necessary formalities. The federation said that after fulfilling all the prescribed conditions, he was allowed to participate in the selection trials.
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