Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat will commence her Paris Olympics campaign by taking on Japan’s Yui Susaki in the first round of the 50kg event on Tuesday. Phogat will take on the Tokyo Olympcs gold medalist in what will be steep challenge. The Indian wrestler, who dropped to the 50kg earlier this year, made it to Paris after winning a quota in the second qualifying tournament earlier this year.
Vinesh Phogat faces steep challenge at Paris Olympics
Japan’s Susaki easily has the upper hand in this contest, given that she is a four-time world champion with an impressive record. If Vinesh manages to beat Susaki, then she will face either seventh seed Oksana Livach of Ukraine or Aktenge Keunimjaeva of Uzbekistan in the quarter-final.
The tie is scheduled to take place at 3 PM IST.
Despite her tumultuous build-up to the event, Vinesh remains one of India’s most accomplished female wrestlers, boasting two World Championships, three Commonwealth Games (CWG) medals, and eight Asian Championships medals.
However, her previous two Olympic campaigns ended in heartbreak. In Rio 2016, she returned with a broken leg, and in Tokyo 2021, she faced a crushing defeat ‘by fall’ in the quarter-finals.