Tokyo Games bronze medallist wrestler Bajrang Punia on Tuesday described fellow grappler Vinesh Phogat as the "lioness of India" after she entered her maiden Olympic semifinals after notching up stunning victories in Paris. (Medal Table | Schedule & Results | Full Coverage)
The 29-year-old Vinesh stunned defending champion Yui Susaki of Japan and higher-ranked Ukrainian Oksana Livach 🥀to cruise to the women's 50kg semifinals on Tuesday.
"Vinesh Phogat is the lioness of India who won back t🍸o back matches today. Defeated 4-time World Champion and defending Olympic champion. After that he de🎃feated the former World Champion in the quarterfinals," Punia wrote on his 'X' handle.
Punia, Vinesh and Sakshi Malik had led a long sit-in protest in Delhi early last year against alleged sexual harassment of women wrestlers by former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan ♊Shar🙈an Singh.
"But let me tell you one thing. This girl was kꦚicked and crushed🍰 in her own country. This girl was dragged on the streets in her country. This girl is going to conquer the world but she lost to the system in this country."
Vinesh defeated Livach, a former European champion and 2018 world championship bronze-medallist, 7-5 in a hard-fought quarterfinal bout to get closer to🤪 an elusive Olympic medal in her thir🍒d attempt.
This was after she caused the biggest wrestling upset in th💙e ongoing Games when she shocked four-time world champion and reigning gold-medallist Yui Susaki of Japan on points in the pre-quarterfinals.
Later in the evening, Vinesh will be up agains𓆏t Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez in the last-four stage. A win will assure her of at least a silver while a loss will take her into the bronze m💧edal playoff.
Vinesh had failed to win a medal in her two previous Olympic appearances. She has won two bronze medaꦆls in 53kg in World Championships in 2019♈ and 2022.
