People shouldn't forget Vinesh Phogat's heroics even if she doesn't get a medal, says Neeraj Chopra

Javelin star Neeraj Chopra urged the country to not forget the incredible performances put in by Vinesh Phogat in the Paris Olympics even if she doesn’t end up with a medal around her neck.

Vinesh, making her third appearance in the Olympics, had stormed into the final of the women’s 50kg event at the Paris Games after winning all three of her bouts on Tuesday, ending Tokyo Olympics champion Yui Susaki’s 82-match winning streak in the process.

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The 29-year-old, however, would be left heartbroken the following day after failing her second weigh-in, in which she was found to be overweight by just 100 grams. As a result, Vinesh was disqualified from the women's 50kg event and Cuba’s Yusneylys Guzman, who had suffered a 0-5 defeat against the Indian in the semi-finals, advanced to the final where she would lose against USA’s Sarah Hildebrandt.

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Vinesh would later file an appear before an ad-hoc panel of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) setup in Paris specially to settle disputes arising from the ongoing Olympics, and continues to wait for a final verdict, the deadline for which has been set for Tuesday 13 August .

Chopra, who added a javelin silver in Paris to a historic gold in Tokyo three years ago, felt Vinesh’s effort should not be forgotten even if the verdict isn’t in her favour and she has to fly back home without a medal around her neck.

“All of us know that if she gets the medal it will be really good. She would have got the medal if such a situation did not arise. If we don’t get the medal, people remember us for some time and say we are their champions but if we don’t get the medal they forget us as well.

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“I just want to request people to not forget what Vinesh has done for the country,” Chopra told reporters on Saturday on the sidelines of a felicitation ceremony organised for him and India men’s hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh at the India House in Paris.

#WATCH | Paris: On Sports Court CAS's hearing of Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat, Olympic Silver medallist, Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra says "All of us know that if she gets the medal it will be really good. She would have got the medal if such a situation did not arise. If we… pic.twitter.com/TtKWF11Yzk

— ANI (@ANI) August 10, 2024

Sreejesh, who announced his retirement from the sport after playing a key role in the Indian men’s team winning a second successive Olympic medal, echoed Chopra’s views on Vinesh’s Paris 2024 campaign.

“It’s a mental trauma, but I hope she will manage it. She is an example for everybody in our country, not just in wrestling but in any sport. This is what we want,” Sreejesh said.

“Win or lose, you are a star. You have done your job to showcase to the world what calibre you have, what culture you come from, and how tough you are. She showed that. She may or may not have won a medal, but she has won the hearts of 1.4 billion Indians.

“It’s the hard work of an athlete’s entire life to win a medal for their country. It’s a tough situation, but I believe that she’s a fighter,” the 36-year-old added.

In her appeal filed before CAS, Vinesh has asked for her to be awarded a joint-silver medal. If she does end up with the medal, it will be India’s seventh overall in Paris — matching their best-ever haul in Tokyo 2020 — and will also be their second in wrestling following Aman Sehrawat’s bronze on Friday.