Wrestling
Controlling weight will not be easy in the next four months: Vinesh Phogat
Vinesh chose to switch to 50 Kg - the category where she won the 2018 Asian Games and Commonwealth Games gold - for the first time since 2018.
FILE PHOTO: Vinesh Phogat is in action at the Tokyo Olympics. (Photo credit: United World Wrestling)
Vinesh Phogat, who secured a Paris Olympics quota place in women's 50 Kg at the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, said managing the weight in the category en route to the Olympics will be her biggest challenge.
"I will have to manage my weight a lot better. I have brought myself down to 50 Kg after so long so I will try and maintain this as much as I can. It's not easy for me not to put on weight because my muscle mass is very high," Vinesh told the UWW after winning the 50 Kg quota for India.
"Because of that, I gain weight easily. It doesn't matter how fit I am, I still gain weight because I have a lot of muscle mass. I just want to control my weight. I have four months left, and every day is very important," she added.
Vinesh chose to switch to 50 Kg - the category where she won the 2018 Asian Games and Commonwealth Games gold - for the first time since 2018 and put up three consecutive technical falls, the last over Laura Ganikyzy, to clinch one of India's three tickets to Paris in the women's wrestling at the Asian Olympic Qualifiers on Saturday.
Meanwhile, talking about her decision to switch to 50 Kg from her favoured 53 Kg weight division, the two-time World Championships medallist said, "I did the weight switch because I didn't have any option, not out of happiness. But I won a quota for my country in the 50kg category. I am happy that I can go to the Olympics. Whether I go in the 50kg category or in the 53kg category, that will be decided in the trials, but, whatever it is, I won a quota for my country."
Vinesh, making a comeback from knee surgery and one and a half years of break, won the quota place without conceding a single point.
The Haryana wrestler, who had a disappointing campaign in the Rio and Tokyo Olympics, wants to complete her Olympic dream in Paris.
"I just want to try my best. It's been 20 years since I've been wrestling. I just want an Olympic medal. Everyone is working for that," Vinesh said.
