Sister-brother-in-law’s retort on Vinesh Phogat’s letter: Said- you wrote very well, forgot uncle Mahavir, may God give you pure intellect

Vinesh Phogat, who was disqualified for being 100 grams overweight before the final wrestling match at the Paris Olympics, returned to India on Saturday. A day earlier, Vinesh shared a 3-page letter, in which she told about her struggle. After the letter, Vinesh’s cousin Geeta Phogat’s husband Pawan Saroha wrote on social media (X), ‘Vinesh you have written very well but perhaps today you have forgotten your uncle Mahavir Phogat, who started your wrestling career. May God give you pure wisdom.’ At the same time, Geeta Phogat wrote on social media without naming anyone, ‘The fruit of karma is simple, the fruit of deceit is deceit, if not today then tomorrow.’ Pawan Saroha’s post… Geeta Phogat’s post… Who is Mahavir Phogat Vinesh Phogat is a resident of Balali village in Charkhi Dadri district. Dronacharya awardee Mahavir Phogat lives in this village. He is Vinesh’s uncle. He taught wrestling tricks to Vinesh. Mahavir Phogat’s daughters Geeta and Babita have also won medals in the Commonwealth Games. Geeta’s husband Pawan Saroha is also a wrestler. He has also won medals in the Commonwealth Games. Now know what Vinesh wrote in the letter… Vinesh wrote, ‘If what happened in Paris had not happened, I would have played till Olympics 2032, because I will always have the fighting spirit and wrestling. I don’t know what the future holds and what will happen next in my journey, but one thing is for sure that I will always fight for what I think is right. There is a lot to say, but words will never be enough. Maybe when the time is right I will talk about it again.’ During the Paris Olympics, Vinesh was disqualified on 7 August just before the final due to being 100 grams overweight. I tried to lose weight overnight. I worked hard for about five and a half hours, but could not bring my weight to my weight category of 50 kg.’ Meanwhile, her foreign coach Waller Akos revealed today, ‘At one point we thought Vinesh would die. On the night of 6 August and the morning of 7 August, we did not give up. Our efforts did not stop. We did not bow down, but the clock stopped and the time was not right. My luck was also not with me. For my team, for Indians, for my family, the goal we were working for. It remained incomplete. It will always be missing.’ Vinesh’s words in 7 points… Fulfilled father’s dream ‘When I was young, I did not know about the Olympics. I also wanted to have long hair like every little girl. I wanted to roam around with a phone in my hand. My father is an ordinary bus driver. He wanted to see his daughter flying in an airplane. I fulfilled my father’s dream. Whenever he mentions this to me, I laugh.’ Husband Somveer supported me at every step ‘Despite all the difficulties, my family kept faith in God. We believed that whatever God had planned for us, it must have been good. My mother always says that God never lets bad things come in the lives of good people. I became even more convinced of this when I walked the path of life with my husband Somveer. Somveer has supported me in every journey.’ I knew that Somveer was standing with me. Somveer, who is my husband, life partner and best friend for life. To say that we were equal partners when we faced any challenge would be wrong, because he made sacrifices at every step and took my difficulties, always protected me. He put my journey above his and provided his support with utmost loyalty, dedication and honesty. If he was not there, I could not have imagined being here, continuing my fight and facing each day. This is possible only because I know that he is standing with me, behind me and in front of me when needed and always protecting me. Maa wanted all her children to be happy My mother who could write a whole story on the hardships of her life, only dreamed that all her children will one day live a better life than her. Being independent and her children standing on their own feet was a dream for her. Her wishes and dreams were much simpler than my father’s. But my father left us and I lived with just the thought of him and the memories of him flying in a plane. I was confused about his meaning then, but still kept that dream with me. Maa taught me to fight for my rights My mother’s dream was now further away, as a few months after my father’s death she was diagnosed with stage three cancer. Here began the journey of three children who lose their childhood to support their single mother. Soon my dreams of long hair, mobile phone faded away, as I faced the reality of life and joined the race for survival. But the struggle taught me a lot. My mother’s struggle, her never-say-die attitude and her ability to fight made me who I am today. She taught me to fight for what is rightfully mine. When I think of courage, I think of her and it is this courage that helps me fight every battle without thinking about the outcome. A lot has happened to me in the last 2 years My journey has given me the opportunity to meet a lot of people, most of whom turned out to be good and some bad. In the last one and a half to two years, a lot has happened inside and outside the mat. My life took many turns and it seemed as if there was no way out of it, but the people around me had honesty, goodwill towards me and extensive support. These people and their faith in me was so strong that I moved forward and could deal with these challenges for the last 2 years. Vinesh thanked the support staff and Dr. Pardiwala My support staff has contributed a lot during my journey on the mat for the last 2 years. Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala is not a new name in Indian sports. For me and I think for many other Indian athletes, he is not just a doctor but an angel sent by God. When I had lost faith in myself after facing injuries, it was his belief, work and faith in me that got me back on my feet. His dedication and sincerity towards his work and Indian sports is something that even God would not doubt. I am forever grateful for his and his entire team’s work and dedication. His being in Paris is a gift for all athletes.