"It is her mindset that has made a difference" - Neeraj Chopra lauds Vinesh Phogat's performance at Paris Olympics 2024
Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat has set her eyes on the Olympic gold medal, with champion Neeraj Chopra rooting for her. Phogat is just one win away from clinching the gold medal at the Paris Olympics 2024. India's star javelin thrower Neeraj praised the Haryana-born wrestler after she won her semifinal bout on Tuesday, August 6.
Neeraj, who has already reached the men's javelin throw final after throwing 89.34m on Tuesday, applauded Phogat for her never-give-up attitude. He hopes the 29-year-old wrestler bags the title in the grand finale.
In one of her matches on Tuesday, Vinesh Phogat beat the 'unsinkable' Yui Susaki of Japan, a wrestler who had never lost an international bout to a non-Japanese wrestler. Susaki also won the gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
However, this victory of Vinesh was not a one-off thing as she also registered wins over Ukraine's Oksana Livach in the quarterfinals and Cuba’s Yusneylys Guzman in the semifinals, making her a force to be reckoned with.
Neeraj Chopra, after his successful throw on Tuesday, was quoted as saying to a reporter that Vinesh's mindset had been her stronghold and that he was gunning for her to clinch an Olympic victory. He said (via Times Now):
"I pray for her that she wins a medal. All the best to her. More than her training, it is her mindset that has made a difference.” In Hindi- “Mindset tagra kar aayi hai woh. Jitne hard training ki hai usse zyada mindset tagra kar kar aayi hai."
Vinesh Phogat's journey to the Olympics 2024 has been full of obstacles
She faced a number of roadblocks, including a knee surgery and a grueling rehabilitation process, but has shown tremendous grit in her journey to the semifinals at the Paris Olympics.
The Olympic experiences for Vinesh Phogat have so far been disappointing, as she got injured during her debut appearance in Rio in 2016 and then lost in the quarterfinals in Tokyo in 2021.
This time, she hopes to put those setbacks behind her as she seeks to win against Sarah Hildebrandt of the USA and become the first-ever Indian wrestler to win the gold medal on Wednesday, August 7.