Tag: Winner

‘Congratulations, Goddess Laxmi is born,’ said the nurse to a father in a government hospital in the remote area of Bihar. ‘What will you name her? I have to write in register,’ queried the nurse.

‘Vinesh,’ the father proudly answered. ‘Spelling is V…,’

‘I know the spelling. Who can not know this great name?’ The nurse smiled.

‘Vinesh…father who is she?’ asked the 4 year old son with curiosity.

‘Come, son, let me share the story of this spectacular girl,’ the father replied.

The story began.

‘Are you sure about this?’ asked the mother.

‘Yes, I am damn sure! Don’t you worry! All will be well.’

Her mother kept on showering blessings through her eyes while standing at the airport.

Paris was absolutely stunning with all young energy across the world. All athletes were well prepared, positive, and hopeful. And so was her.

The day to mark the Olympic medal in her name came. Yet it was difficult as the opponent was never defeated and a consecutive gold medal bearer. Commentators were a little doubtful towards her win, and it was a matter of discussion amongst the crowd.

Similarly, the air in the dressing room was intense. Coach was firm and serious.

‘You can do it! Just remember our strategy, practice sessions, and your past experience. You have worked for this day. You have the potential to create history,’ the coach motivated her.

She constantly nodded with her eyes fixed on invisible air. Blank and serious expression was the jewel of her face for two years. She knew she had gone through lots of ups and downs in life. Hardships shadowed, yet a bleak of light inside her showed the way. She knew that she came from a proud motherland with countless female heroes.

As she walked down the gala of entrance, her heart thumped with every step she took.

Her competition was standing in front of her.

It was a game among equals. The crowd was yelling to cheer both. But her focus was on just one sentence, ‘I can do it!’

A few seconds later, the game was finished. The one who never got defeated in her career, the all-time gold medalist, was defeated today.

Commentators shouted with vigour and excitement, ‘Aaj ajay ko bhi jay kar diya (today even the one who could never be defeated has been defeated). She has already created history before reaching the final round. She is no doubt the slayer, our own Vinesh Phogat, the Indian freestyle wrestler.

‘Yes, absolutely, it has been a rough journey for her. You know how tough it is when someone lowers the weight category. When its done, they face more agile and fast competitors. Meanwhile, being a muscular build, these athletes have hardly any much fat cells left to burn. So, to remain in the 50kg weight criteria, they need to cut down their diet, water and have to exercise quadrupole. Just feel, can we run throughout the day after we hit the gym on Cardio Day. I am excited to see her at finals,’ another commentator ended the day with hope.

She swiftly succeeded two other matches on the same day. Three matches back to back in the Olympics were tiring.

It was confirmed that she was winning one medal out of two in the finals on the next day. But like Arjuna, her eye was on gold. She started working out in the late evening for the next day. Like always, she stepped on weighing scale, and her heart skipped. Her weight increased by 1.7 kgs within hours. Watching this, suddenly perspiration drops started running like a cheetah on her skin, and similarly, her blood through her body.

She cycled, gymed, and exercised throughout the night. She didn’t sleep. She didn’t drink water or eat food. Every second of the night was equivalent to a yug (12 years) for her. At 4 am. in the morning, she sat in the sauna. Just worked out to have every single water droplet out of her body. But there was hardly any water left in her body.

‘Vinesh, cut your hair,’ suggested the coach. She did that without any second thought. There was hardly any change. Those 1.7 kgs were now hovering over her head continuously.

India was hopefully and peacefully sleeping, unknowing the fact that her dear daughter was battling a battle with herself endlessly throughout the night.

‘Vinesh, listen, take rest for some time. How will you win in the match?’ Her coach and friends questioned.

Recalling something, she firmly answered, ‘I will win. For any athlete, especially from India, finals are never a personal win. It is a victory of the nation, the people, irrespective of any caste or creed. It is also the victory of all future medals as it seeds in immense motivation. It is a motivation for many who are fighting their own personal wars in their respective fields, be it a student fighting for the toughest exam or a patient fighting for life. I have to win for all of them.’

Many others came as the news spread. Everyone started giving their suggestions to help her out to lose. All felt as if it was their final in that dressing room. Someone suggested taking out the blood, and she even agreed on that.

‘Step up on the scale,’ the checking team personnel ordered firmly. Terrified Vinesh, crossing her fingers, stepped up.

It was 50.1 kgs! 50.1 kgs!

‘You are given 15 mins time. You are 100 gms overweight,’ said the personnel.

‘Ughh, may be the machine is wrong. Let me check on the other one.’ Vinesh bounced from one to many. But each had the same figure to show, as if machines had conspired against her together.

She remembered the past day. An athlete even vomited by putting her finger in her throat to loose weight. She even did that. But nothing came as her stomach was as empty as an ancient cave.

Those 15 minutes passed in a blink, and nothing changed.

‘You are disqualified,’ declared the personnel stonely.

These three words and the 100 gms felt like a tonne over her. She fell on the ground. Her dreams and the hopes of every Indian around the corner of the world shattered. She pleaded and begged to be given more time. Everyone knew that she would’ve brought the gold to home. Nothing happened.

It was not an athlete but the destiny, who had defeated her out of the circle. She lost without a fight! She felt listless and fainted.

As she opened her eyes in the hospital, something was gone. She had every near dear one around her, yet was alone. Many consoled her, ‘It’s okay! Prepare for the next one. You have the potential. You have already won the gold for every individual!’

After a few hours of solitude, she opened the door and shared a news, ‘You all stood with me, I am thankful to everyone. I have made a decision to take retirement. Thank you all!’ She left in nowhere.

‘At 29 years, she took retirement. Wrestling was all she knew. Every individual of the nation respected her for her hard work and spectacular performance. She was the winner for all in her previous match itself. She marked everyone’s heart with her image. She will be remembered for ages, may be century. She won more than gold for all. She was not a quitter. She was a warrior fighting through all her wars in life. One journey ended, and another one started. Son, sometimes, I feel that rules when modified with time are the real rules. Otherwise, they are like the shackles. My dear son, this was Vinesh and her story,’ narrated the father.

‘And so will be our Vinesh, my little sister,’ said the four years old with twinkling eyes, cheerfully.