On August 6th, Indian wrester Vinesh Phogat became a legend across the country as she penned down the defending Olympic champion Yui Susaki at the Paris Olympic Games 2024 on Tuesday night.
This was a celebratory moment for sports fans and brands across India, who took to social media to congratulate her for her historic win:
THE GREAT INDIAN PHOGAT SHOW!! https://t.co/5hw8d2Dmg7
— Netflix India (@NetflixIndia) August 6, 2024
Medals on medals for @Phogat_Vinesh ✊ https://t.co/xBbd7P3Bjq pic.twitter.com/ASTcgNbAoF
— Spotify India (@spotifyindia) August 6, 2024
SHE CAME. SHE ATE. SHE LEFT NO CRUMBS. #VineshPhogat #Wrestling
— Swiggy Food (@Swiggy) August 6, 2024
Chhori gold laavegi 🙏🏻🇮🇳
— boAt (@RockWithboAt) August 6, 2024
Pickup of medal #4 has been reserved by #VineshPhogat! 🤩#Wrestling #Olympics
— Uber India (@Uber_India) August 6, 2024
However, in a heartbreaking twist of fate, it was announced on August 7th that Vinesh had been disqualified from the Olympics due to her exceeding the weight limit by 100 grams.
Despite cutting her hair and forcing herself into a smaller singlet, none of the measures worked. Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman, who she beat in the semifinals, replacing her in the freestyle final against Sarah Hildebrandt of the United States.
🚨 It is with regret that the Indian contingent shares news of the disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from the Women’s Wrestling 50kg class. Despite the best efforts by the team through the night, she weighed in a few grams over 50kg this morning. No further comments will be made…
— Team India (@WeAreTeamIndia) August 7, 2024
After the devastating and undoubtedly grueling experience, Vinesh has announced her retirement from wrestling. In a social media post on Thursday morning, she took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote:
“Mother wrestling, you’ve beaten me. Forgive me. My dreams are shattered. My courage is broken. I don’t have any more strength now.”
माँ कुश्ती मेरे से जीत गई मैं हार गई माफ़ करना आपका सपना मेरी हिम्मत सब टूट चुके इससे ज़्यादा ताक़त नहीं रही अब।
अलविदा कुश्ती 2001-2024 🙏
आप सबकी हमेशा ऋणी रहूँगी माफी 🙏🙏
— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) August 7, 2024
Vinesh’s announcement devastated the country and the globe, who rallied in support of her with praise and words of encouragement:
Legend 🇮🇳🙏 @Phogat_Vinesh pic.twitter.com/d5s6st7at0
— geeta phogat (@geeta_phogat) August 8, 2024
Completely gutted . Sometimes u dont need a gold medal to be a true champion to people….
— Abhinav A. Bindra OLY (@Abhinav_Bindra) August 7, 2024
Who cares for Gold,
When we have Diamond.@Phogat_Vinesh 🫡🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/BhPvGNnuRr
— Newton (@newt0nlaws) August 8, 2024
Despite the heartbreaking setback, Vinesh has nonetheless scripted history at the Paris Olympics by becoming the first Indian woman to reach the gold medal bout, making her an inspiration to many across the country and the globe.
This will undoubtedly make Vinesh a very appealing figure for brands to align themselves with. She is currently estimated to charge Rs. 2-3 lakh per reel or Instagram post. Given her recent spectacular performance, market insiders expect this rate to rise significantly, possibly reaching 10-15 lakh per post.
Currently, Vinesh Phogat has endorsed footwear and apparel brand Nike over the last year and has had digital associations with mobile brand Iqoo, sports nutrition brand MuscleBlaze, and Dairy brand Country Delight, among others. Experts believe that her list of endorsements will multiply after the 2024 Olympics and boost her brand further.
While this will not be able replace the lost satisfaction of winning a medal or the devastation of her retirement, it indicates that Vinesh Phogat’s resilience has won the hearts of millions across the country and will continue to do so in the future.
