"It's easier to play matches rather than to cut down to weight" - Sakshi Malik dissects 'weight cut' practice, extends support to Vinesh Phogat
Today (August 7) will always remain a heartbreaking and perhaps the most unmemorable day in Vinesh Phogat's entire career. She has gone through tough times before, but getting disqualified from an Olympics final, that too just in the morning due to a mere 100 grams of additional weight, is unlucky.
Notably, on Tuesday (August 6) night, Phogat was two kilograms overweight for her 50kg category. She did everything possible - didn't eat, did jogging, skipping, and cycling too. Ultimately, it was those extra 100 grams she couldn't shed. The wrestler used to previously fight in the 53kg category.
Sakshi Malik, a celebrated wrestler and the first Indian woman wrestler to win a medal at the Olympics (bronze in 2016 in Rio), showed concern regarding her former colleague in the sport.
She said to the broadcasters in India JioCinema:
"Even I have heard these that she tried to take out blood from her body. I am a bit stressed on hearing this. I am not feeling well mentally since morning and I'm continuously thinking about her, of what she is going through."
Sakshi Malik further added how difficult it is for a wrestler to maintain the weight for an event. Rather playing matches is easier for them compared to shedding weight at vital times before the competition.
She revealed:
"It's easier to play matches rather than to cut down to weight. Weight cutting is the first major struggle. Fighting is okay, we have practiced that for a long time and it's fun for us. But those 3-4 days before the matches when we cut down the weight, it's a period of immense struggle."
Vinesh Phogat at Paris Olympics 2024
After narrowly making the cut in the Olympic qualifiers, Vinesh Phogat arrived at the Paris Olympics. She defeated Yui Susaki (3-2), a former gold medalist at the Games, in the pre-quarter-final. The quarter-final saw her go up against Ukraine's Oksana Livach, a hurdle she crossed strongly by winning 7-5.
In the semi-final, Phogat defeated Cuba's Yusneylys Guzman 5-0. In the final, she was to take on USA's Sarah Hildebrandt but unfortunately, she got disqualified.