Phogat sisters, Geeta and Babita, have taken a subtle dig at their cousin, Vinesh Phogat, for not acknowledging their uncle Mahavir Phogat in a recent emotional statement. This follows a significant setback Vinesh faced at the Paris Olympics, where she was widely anticipated to win at least a silver medal.
However, Vinesh failed to meet the weight requirement for the women’s 50kg freestyle wrestling final, missing the mark by just 100 grams. Despite her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for a joint silver medal, her request was ultimately denied after nearly a week of deliberation.
In the wake of this disappointment, Vinesh released a heartfelt statement on Friday evening, expressing gratitude to those who supported her throughout her wrestling journey. She mentioned several key figures, including Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala, the Indian Olympic Association’s chief medical officer. However, noticeably absent from her acknowledgments was her uncle Mahavir Phogat, who played a crucial role in launching and shaping her wrestling career.
This omission did not go unnoticed by Geeta and Babita Phogat. Without directly naming Vinesh, both sisters shared cryptic posts on social media that appeared to be aimed at her.
Geeta’s post, when translated from Hindi, reads: “The result of actions is simple: ‘The fruit of deceit is deceit,’ if not today, then tomorrow.”
कर्मों का फल सीधा सा है
‘छल का फल छल ‘
आज नहीं तो कल— geeta phogat (@geeta_phogat) August 16, 2024
Geeta also reposted a tweet from her husband, Pawan Kumar Saroha, who also has a wrestling background.
His tweet, which included Vinesh’s statement, remarked,
“Vinesh, you have written very well, but perhaps today you have forgotten your uncle Mahavir Phogat, who started your wrestling career. May God give you pure wisdom.”
विनेश आपने बहुत ही बढ़िया लिखा है लेकिन शायद आज आप अपने ताऊ जी महावीर फोगाट को भूल गए हैं। जिन्होनें आपकी कुश्ती जीवन को शुरू किया था भगवान आपको शुद्ध बुद्धि दे ❤️🙏 https://t.co/BtQai2lcEp
— Pawan Saroha (@pawankumar86kg) August 16, 2024
Additionally, Geeta highlighted another social media post that underscored Mahavir Phogat’s instrumental role in Vinesh’s career.
ये विनेश फोगाट और उनके ताऊ महावीर फोगाट हैं.
आज Vinesh Phogat ने एक पोस्ट किया है, जिसमें उन्होंने उनका सहयोग करने वाले लोगों का धन्यवाद दिया है.
लेकिन बड़ी बात ये है कि विनेश ने इसमें महावीर फोगाट का जिक्र तक नहीं किया है. शायद वीनेश अपने ताऊ को भूल गई हैं.
वीनेश के पापा का… pic.twitter.com/JZjrhEcouG
— Abhay Pratap Singh (बहुत सरल हूं) (@IAbhay_Pratap) August 16, 2024
Babita, Geeta’s sister, echoed these sentiments with a similarly cryptic post, stating, “Every success is a defeat whose sole purpose is to bring everybody down.”
“हर वो कामयाबी हार है”
“जिसका मकसद सिर्फ हर किसी को नीचा दिखाना है”।— Babita Phogat (@BabitaPhogat) August 17, 2024
Despite this apparent rift within the family, Vinesh was warmly received upon her return to India on Saturday morning. Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, along with hundreds of supporters, greeted her at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. Vinesh was visibly emotional as she received the warm welcome.
In a separate interaction with ANI following Vinesh’s disqualification, Mahavir Phogat expressed his continued support for her. He stated that, despite the CAS verdict, they would welcome Vinesh as if she had won a gold medal. He also mentioned that they would encourage her to prepare for the 2028 Olympics, along with Sangeeta Phogat and Ritu Phogat, further showing his unwavering commitment to the family’s wrestling legacy. 4o
