Indian Women Wrestlers Back Vinesh Phogat, Says 'Weight Cut' Is Tougher Than it Looks

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Hunny Kumari, a 50 kg weight category wrestler, who competed against Vinesh Phogat at the wrestling trials for the Asian and World Qualifiers at NIS Patiala, shared her thoughts on the ace Indian wrestler.

Hunny came to Jhajjar by-pass along with her coach and other young women wrestlers to give Vinesh Phogat a grand welcome as the senior wrestler arrived in India on Saturday morning to a rousing reception at Delhi airport.

Hunny praised Vinesh for her care and support of junior wrestlers and expressed hope that she would win medals for the country in future competitions. She also highlighted the challenges involved in cutting weight before a bout, emphasizing how difficult it can be for wrestlers.

"Vinesh di is a wonderful person. She really looks after the junior wrestlers. I hope she brings a medal for the country next time. Although I haven't interacted with her much, I noticed that while senior wrestlers often put a lot of pressure on juniors during a bout, she wasn't like that. She wrestled professionally in our match," Hunny Kumari told myKhel.

"Those who are involved in the sport understand how challenging it is to reduce weight. We always believed she would bring home the gold medal. Watching wrestlers like Vinesh di and other prominent athletes has inspired many women to take up the sport," she added.

Upon arriving at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, she received a warm welcome from her fellow wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik.

It's worth mentioning that Vinesh Phogat was found 2.7 kg overweight after her semi-final bout at the Paris Olympics 2024. Though she reduced 2.6 kg weight by working hard ahead of the gold medal bout, she was disqualified after being found 100 grams overweight.

Right from intense exercises, sauna sessions to cardio workouts and practicing various wrestling moves, Vinesh Phogat had tried everything possible with the help of her support staff that night to cut down her weight. Subsequently, the officials disqualified the wrestler from the Paris Olympics 2024 and ultimately ranked below all other wrestlers without any ranking. Her joint silver medal plea at the CAS was also rejected