Bow down to the Queen! Vinesh Phogat becomes 1st Indian female wrestler to reach FINAL in Olympics; fans react

After defeating the seemingly unbeatable world No. 1 and defending champion Yui Susaki of Japan in the Round of 16, Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat was unstoppable! She then won against Ukraine's Oksana Livach in the quarter-finals and recently defeated Cuba's Yusneylys Guzman Lopez to secure her spot in the final.

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With this achievement, Vinesh Phogat became the first female Indian wrestler to reach the final at the Olympics. Fans celebrated her as the 'Queen' of the mat, insisting that she deserves nothing less than GOLD.

In the bout, Vinesh Phogat initially earned a technical point due to her opponent’s passivity. After the first period, she maintained her lead but received a passivity warning. Nevertheless, during the 30-second timer, she attacked aggressively and took a 3-0 lead. Vinesh then extended her advantage to 5-0 with less than 1:30 minutes remaining.

She continued her offensive, but Yusneylys Guzman Lopez displayed strong defence and remained on the mat as the timer expired, leading to Phogat's victory.

For those who may have forgotten, Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia were the three prominent Indian wrestlers who spearheaded a protest against former WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, alleging that he had harassed women wrestlers sexually. Several wrestlers were arrested in May while they were advancing on the Parliament. 

Bajrang Punia wrote in a post on X, "Vinesh Phogat is the lioness of India who won back-to-back matches today. Defeated 4-time World Champion and defending Olympic champion. After that, he defeated the former World Champion in the quarterfinals. But let me tell you one thing, This girl was kicked and crushed in her own country. This girl was dragged on the streets in her country This girl is going to conquer the world but she lost to the system in this country". 

Vinesh Phogat will face either Otgonjargal Dolgorjav or Sarah Ann Hildebrandt in the final on August 7. The fierce 29-year-old, who has seen two heartbreaking Olympic experiences, is now just one victory away from guaranteeing an Olympic gold medal.

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