How Vinesh Phogat battled through period cramps to win 2022 World Wrestling Championships bronze

Vinesh Phogat created history, on Wednesday, when she became the first Indian woman to bag two medals at the World Wrestling Championships. The 28-year-old won the bronze medal in women's 53kg with a 8-0 win over Sweden's Emma Jonna Malgrem.

Vinesh has now revealed that she had to fight through period cramps enroute her historic medal in Belgrade. The double Olympian had to go through her period cramps right before the start of the tournament when she was cutting down on weight.

This meant that she was blanked 0-7 by a less fancied Mongolian Khulan Batkhuyag in the very first round. Vinesh though made her chances count in the repechage after Batkhuyag reached the final

"I don't know if I'm lucky to get the repechage chance, or an unlucky person to get my periods right before the tournament while I was cutting weight," Vinesh was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

She further joked that she thinks it would have been better if she was a boy and added that women athletes do not really speak up about the struggles they face during periods.

"Kabhi kabhi lagtaa hai, ladka hoti toh achha hota (Sometimes, I feel it would have been better if I was a boy) "I left everything on the mat, didn't hold back, but sometimes the body just gives up. It happens to all women athletes. Koi koi bolta nahi, koi survive kar jaate hai (Some do not mention, some survive)," she said.