No time to grieve over Tokyo Games defeat: Wrestler Vinesh Phogat

Vinesh Phogat

India's ace wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who lost to Belarus' Vanesa Kaladzinskaya in 53kg quarter-final during the recent Tokyo Olympics, now wants to focus on upcoming competitions and the 2024 Paris Games.

"At the senior level, we don't have enough time to grieve over a defeat, because the next Olympics are approaching and there are back-to-back competitions. It's one thing to reach the top, but to stay on top is challenging," Vinesh, who clinched gold in 2018 Jakarta Asian Games, said during a virtual press conference from New Delhi on Friday.

Vinesh, 27, the two-time Olympian, who was suspended by Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for indiscipline in Tokyo, but later let off with a warning, is now working on her weaknesses. "In my first Olympics [Rio 2016], I got injured and now I suffered defeat. I accept that. I learnt a lot from it. I will work on my weaknesses before the upcoming competitions," added Vinesh during a programme, where WFI and Tata Motors announced an extension of their partnership till the 2024 Paris Games.

India's star wrestlers Ravi Dahiya (57kg) and Bajrang Punia (65kg), who won the silver and bronze respectively in Tokyo, revealed their medal-winning secret. "There is a certain mindset with which we go on the mat. We are just focussed on executing the strategy," remarked Dahiya, 23.

Punia said: "We have only a split of a second to decide which technique to use or how to make a counter move. There is no time to look at the scoreboard. Even in the last few seconds, the scoreline can change. So, we need to execute the moves that we have practised." Anshu Malik, 20, who had her first Olympics experience in Tokyo, felt the need of a psychologist to fight against stress during big competitions.

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