Wrestler Vinesh Phogat has suffered an injury in the run-up to the Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast, the Hindustan Times has reported.
According to a report in the English daily, the gold medallist from the Glasgow Games four years ago, injured herself in a bout on Wednesday evening as her opponent crashed into her upper abdominal area, causing severe pain and discomfort to Phogat.
During a send-off ceremony on Wednesday morning, she clutched her neck, causing the physio, other officials and wrestlers to take her to Avadh Hospital, near the SAI Centre.
Dheerendra Pratap Singh, a physio who accompanied Phogat to the hospital, “There is nothing serious. She is fit and fine. All her reports, including X-ray and ultra-sound, are normal and there is no need to worry.”
Chief coach Kuldeep Malik was hopeful of Phogat’s recovery and stated, “It is just a minor hiccup and it happens to everyone. She will be fit and fine. We have done proper training and I am hopeful of Indian women grapplers winning all six gold medals at Gold Coast.”
Phogat had also injured herself in a first-round fight against China’s Sun Yanan at the 2016 Olympics in Rio and had to be stretchered off the mat in tears. The 50-kg grappler had made a return to competitive wrestling the following April, when she won the silver medal at the Asian Wrestling Championships in New Delhi.
Sister Babita Phogat, who also won a gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, is confident of the 50-kg grappler’s medal chances at Gold Coast, “Chot to khiladi ka gehna hai, aur ise hame saath lekar chalna hai’ (Injuries are like ornaments of sportspersons, and we have to carry them with us). This is the best-ever wrestling team and we all are confident of winning gold medals in Australia. We have done the right training, and a top finish on the podium is the only dream we have.”
The wrestling team departs for Gold Coast on Friday.