Former wrestler turned politician Vinesh Phogat travels the Julana constituency, speaking at about ten rallies a day, from sunrise to sunset. The Olympic gold miss is still hurting, even though she is overwhelmed by the support she is getting. She talks to Nihal Koshie and Sandeep Dwivedi about her choice to enter politics, the shock of being 100 grams overweight before the final, and the lack of support she received after being disqualified.

From dawn to dusk, former wrestler turned politician Vinesh Phogat visits the Julana area and speaks at around 10 rallies every day. The Olympic gold medallist is amazed by the love she is receiving, but she is still in pain. She discusses her decision to enter politics, the surprise of being 100 grams overweight prior to the final, and the lack of support she had after being disqualified with Nihal Koshie and Sandeep Dwivedi. The demonstrations, I believe. Many believe that what we accomplished was for their families’ girls. Achieving an Olympic gold medal is a personal endeavor; people are kind to one another. Not as much love and support as I did. People were coming and departing throughout our demonstration.

Other wrestlers were training for the Olympics while you were out in the streets protesting. You made it to the final despite facing no opposition from Japanese wrestler Yui Susaki.

I’m not sure. It is a strength bestowed by God. Nobody can stop me from accomplishing my goals if I have a deep-seated conviction that it is necessary. There is only one Vinesh, and that is how I am. I never once considered giving up wrestling, not even after getting hurt when I was at the demonstration. I was adamant about attending the Olympics.

During the Olympics, you did not lose a match. Do you see any advantages to it?

No. It was an extremely challenging circumstance. I didn’t win in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, but after three or four months, I was able to go over the disappointment. I wasn’t sure whether I had realized my full potential until I hurt my knee during a match at the Olympics in Rio. It was the same here; I’m not sure if I would have taken home the gold. It’s not something I can accept as a victory or a defeat.