New Delhi: Vinesh Phogat, one of India's biggest medal hopes at Tokyo Olympics, has revealed that she was in bad physical and mental shape at the mega event. According to the 26-year old wrestler, unfair criticism of her performance has led to her feeling “broken”, leaving her wondering whether she should even return to the mat.
Vinesh Phogat was expected to win a medal in the women’s freestyle 53kg category but crashed out in the quarterfinal, losing to Vanesa Kaladzinskaya of Belarus.
Vinesh said that her condition, which was hampered by concussion suffered in 2017 and COVID last year, deteriorated further in Tokyo as her physio Poornima Ngomdir was not with her.
“I am blank. I don’t know what is happening in life. For the last week, so much has been going on inside me…Everyone outside is treating me like I am a dead thing. At least ask me what happened to me on the mat…. Vinesh did not lose because of pressure. Before passing judgments, just ask the athlete what went wrong," Vinesh wrote in The Indian Express.
