Vinesh Phogat was eying an Olympic gold, becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to enter an Olympic final. But overnight, she went from India's Gold hope to being given intravenous drips for dehydration. The Indian contingent woke up to the rude jolt of Vinesh's disqualification, hours before her gold medal bout. She was found overweight by 100 grams on day two of the weigh-in and resultantly disqualified.

From battling opposition from the villagers who considered wrestling to be a man's sport, losing her father at the age of just nine, to taking on powerful federation officials, Vinesh has faced innumerable hardships on her way to realising her dreams.

Less than a year ago, Vinesh wasn't training in a state-of-the-art facility. She was sleeping on Delhi pavements, protesting against the very people meant to support her. Her fight against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, BJP leader and then WFI chief became her real-life dangal. Paris gave her the chance to prove that she could overcome not just physical opponents, but an entire system stacked against her.

Olympics 2024 was meant to be her redemption. The climax was cruel but Vinesh Phogat’s journey is worth its weight in gold...

Video Producer: Shohini Bose
Video Editor: Rajbir Singh