At the breakfast assembly with Tokyo 2020 Olympians at his residence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it’s learnt, had a particular chat with grappler Vinesh Phogat, at the moment suspended by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for alleged indiscipline.
Mindful of reviews about her ‘not meeting anyone’ after her loss on the Tokyo Games, sources stated, the Prime Minister instructed Vinesh that he was not solely ‘fond’ of her abilities but additionally ‘respected’ her household’s contribution to wrestling. He additionally instructed her that ‘self-anger and dejection’ had been feelings that wanted to be prevented.
Breakfast with Modi: Indian Olympians meet PM day after attending Independence Day celebrations
“Jeet ko sar par chadhne na do, haar ko man mein basne na do (Do not get arrogant in victory and do not get bogged down by defeat),” he’s believed to have instructed Vinesh.
Modi’s phrases come at a time when Vinesh has been issued a show-cause discover by the WFI, which is headed by BJP Member of Parliament Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. She has been accused of staying and coaching away from the Indian crew and never carrying the official crew jersey for her bouts. Vinesh has refuted two out of the three fees whereas admitting that not carrying the jersey was an ‘unintended’ error.
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Last week, after the WFI suspended her, she wrote in a column in The Indian Express that she was ‘broken’ following her defeat within the quarterfinals of the 53kg weight class on the Tokyo Olympics.
“I slept once since I reached home. I slept for two hours on the flight and sometimes in the Village. There, I would walk alone and drink coffee. I was alone. When the sun would rise, I felt sleepy,” she wrote. “I don’t know when I will return (to the mat). Maybe I won’t. I feel I was better off with that broken leg (suffered at the 2016 Rio Olympics). I had something to correct. Now my body is not broken, but I’m truly broken.”
READ | Vinesh Phogat refutes two WFI fees; admits not carrying jersey was unintended error
The Prime Minister handled gold medallist Neeraj Chopra to churma and saved the promise made to two-time badminton medallist PV Sindhu that he would have ice- cream along with her if she gained a medal in Tokyo. Sindhu, a Rio Games silver medallist, returned from the Japanese capital with a bronze, changing into solely the second Indian to handle a podium end in a person occasion at two Olympics.
When he met wrestler Ravi Dahiya, who gained a silver within the 57kg weight class, Modi is believed to have instructed him, “You belong to Haryana. The people from Haryana are very happy by nature. Then, why were you sad, even on the podium (despite winning a medal)? You have done so well. You have to smile.”
He was referring to Dahiya’s disappointment after successful ‘only’ a silver medal in Tokyo. The wrestler wore a dejected look on the rostrum after shedding to Russia’s Zavur Uguev within the gold medal bout.
The Prime Minister, it’s learnt, requested every participant to go to 75 faculties by August 15, 2023, as a part of the Amrit Mahotsav. He urged them to speak about malnutrition and play a sport with the youngsters of the faculties they go to.
