India’s Vinesh Phogat created history on Tuesday, 6 August at the Paris Olympics. Vinesh on Tuesday became the first ever Indian woman to reach a wrestling final in the Olympics. The Indian wrestler bested Cuba’s Lopez Guzman to assure herself a medal in Paris. At the end of the semi-final bout, Vinesh’s coach Woller Akos was seen weeping at the side of the mat.
Vinesh Phogat has been training under Hungarian coach Woller Akos since 2018. She attended a training camp in Hungary where she refined her technique, addressing minor issues in her game. As a wrestler in lower weight categories, she was previously vulnerable to fast attacks. However, after training with Akos, she made adjustments to her technique and went on to win gold at the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid. Her success continued at the Asian Games, where she won gold despite Akos not being physically present. The coach remained involved, providing instructions via WhatsApp during her bouts.
Paris Olympics 2024: India Schedule | Full Coverage | Medal Tally
On the day, Vinesh beat her opponent via a 5-0 margin in what turned out to be a rather comfortable bout for her. Vinesh was cautious from the start against her Cuban opponent, much like her bout against the Japanese medal contender. She got a hold of Guzman’s leg at the very start of the bout which put the Cuban under pressure in the starting minutes. Despite exerting pressure, Vinesh was not able to win any points in the first 2 minutes of the match. Guzman, who was quite cautious as well, was handed a penalty at the 2-minute mark in the first round for passivity, losing one point. Vinesh piled on the pressure from there on and stayed on top of Guzman.
After Guzman was forced to get onto the attack, Vinesh opted for an ultra-defensive approach. Vinesh was handed a warning for passivity and that brought out the best in her. She got a hold of Guzman’s right leg and twisted her to get a 5-0 lead. Vinesh kept her cool for the remainder of the bout and pulled off a rather clean win in the semi-finals.
Source Agencies
