Vinesh Phogat undergoes successful elbow surgery
Star Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat successfully underwent an elbow surgery on Wednesday (September 8). The grappler posted a picture of herself recuperating from the hospital bed with her right arm in a sling.
Vinesh Phogat captioned the picture announcing the elbow surgery and ended with a fist emoticon, a metaphor used for grittiness. She wrote:
“Elbow surgery done! No matter how many times I fall, I will still rise.”
Vinesh Phogat is one of the best wrestlers and was considered one of India's primary medal hopes at the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics 2021. However, the wrestler had a horrid time at the Olympics. She bowed out with a whimper, losing to Vanesa Kaladzinskaya 3-9 in the quarter-finals.
Vinesh Phogat's troubles with the WFI and IOA
After her exit, Vinesh Phogat ran into more controversy and trouble when she was pulled up by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) over a charge of indiscipline. Phogat, who was training in Hungary, traveled to Tokyo from her training base. The wrestler refused to stay at the Olympic Games Village and denied a training session with the Indian contingent.
She also wore a Nike singlet over the official Shiv Naresh attire for her matches.
Vinesh Phogat was also caught on the wrong foot by officials from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). The wrestler refused to stay in her allotted room near her Indian teammates as she felt she might contract the COVID-19 virus. Three wrestlers – Sonam Malik, Anshu Malik and Seema Bisla – had traveled from India, where the cases from the virus were still high.
However, Vinesh Phogat had refuted all allegations of misconduct, except for the one related to the Nike jersey. Phogat said that the Indian jersey, which she had worn for training sessions, was unwashed and hence she had to find an alternative.
Later, the WFI allowed Vinesh Phogat to compete at the World Championships trials after she was let off with a reprimand.
However, in the World Championship trials, Vinesh Phogat pulled out after one match. It was reportedly due to a concussion she suffered in 2017 where she would feel blurry after every knock on the head.
A new elbow injury that cropped up recently surprised many once again. But after her successful surgery, Vinesh Phogat will be looking at a speedy recovery.
Read: Why Wrestling Federation of India is planning a major overhaul in the coaching system for Indian wrestlers