"Gold Laana Hai": Vinesh Phogat Tells Teary-Eyed Mother After Reaching Olympics Final. Watch

She grappled on the streets with an "unjust system" without a care in the world and on Tuesday Vinesh Phogat brought a lot of that panache to the mat as well, taking down one big name after another to become India's first woman wrestler to enter the finals of the Olympic Games. The 29-year-old from Haryana defeated Yusneylis Guzman Lopez of Cuba 5-0 in the semifinals where she used brain and brawn in equal measure to be assured of at least a silver in her third Olympic outing.

"Gold laana hai (Have to bring gold)," she told her teary-eyed mother Premlata over a quick video call after the bout.

It takes a village - Vinesh PHOGAT  talking to her mother after becoming the first Indian to reach Olympic final in women's wrestling#uww #wrestling #wrestleparis #olympics #paris2024 @Phogat_Vinesh pic.twitter.com/Piqw5ynoJ9

This was after she was stretchered off on her debut in Rio 2016 and had a forgettable outing in Tokyo four years later.

"Tomorrow is an important day, will talk then," she told the waiting media before vanishing from the sight to prepare for her summit battle against American Sarah Ann Hildebrandt.

On the day, she beat world No. 1 and reigning Olympic champion Yui Sasaki during the dying moments of their pre-quarterfinal bout, handing the legendary Japanese her first defeat in 83 bouts.

If the first six minutes were a shocker for the wrestling world, the next six minutes against 2018 European champion Oksana Livach of Ukraine were an assurance of her class were she made a mockery of her opponent just when she needed to.

The last six minutes on the day against Lopez were another master-class in tactical acumen where she was a tigress on the prowl waiting for that one mistake where she could get the single-leg