Vinesh Phogat in Olympics final: Bollywood celebs praise wrestler; netizens demand biopic

In a landmark achievement, Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat defeated Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez in the semi-finals at the Paris 2024 Olympics. This victory makes Phogat the first Indian woman to reach the finals of the 50 kg freestyle wrestling tournament at the Olympics, ensuring at least a silver medal. Her outstanding performance has garnered widespread admiration from Bollywood celebrities, including Ayushmann Khurrana, Rajkummar Rao, Taapsee Pannu, and Randeep Hooda, who took to social media to express their pride and support.

Rajkummar Rao shared a picture of Vinesh Phogat from the Olympics on Instagram and called her the ‘pride of our nation.’

His heartfelt post read, ‘And we are in the finals. It was such a joy watching you play live. You are the pride of our nation @vineshphogat. Good luck for the finals. Our prayers are with you.’

Taapsee Pannu also celebrated Phogat’s win with a series of Instagram stories. In one story, she praised Phogat’s resilience and declared herself a lifelong fan of the wrestler.

‘This woman will be remembered as a benchmark in many ways for decades to come! What a woman! What a crazy year she has had and what courage she has shown. Your fan for life,’ Pannu wrote.

Her subsequent stories continued to cheer for Phogat, highlighting her journey to the finals and applauding her champion spirit.

Randeep Hooda joined the chorus of praise on X (formerly Twitter), sharing a picture of Phogat from the match along with a series of congratulatory emojis and the hashtag #VineshPhogat.

Ayushmann Khurrana shared an emotional moment on Instagram, posting a picture of Phogat crying after her win and writing, ‘Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat couldn’t stop crying after her victory over the unbeatable world No.1 champion.’

Patralekhaa echoed these sentiments, calling Phogat’s win a ‘moment for the country’ in her Instagram story, adding, ‘What a game…champion. Vinesh Phogat wins silver. What a moment for our country #Phoenix.’

Arjun Rampal also acknowledged Phogat’s remarkable achievement, stating, ‘Vinesh Phogat, the first Indian woman to reach an Olympic final. Such a fabulous few bouts she has had. Get the gold, girl.’

As Vinesh Phogat achieved a historic win in the women’s 50kg wrestling category at the Paris 2024 Olympics, the hashtag #Dangal began trending on X (formerly Twitter).

Netizens are demanding a sequel to the 2016 blockbuster sports biopic ‘Dangal,’ starring Aamir Khan, which will highlight Vinesh Phogat’s inspirational journey.

Vinesh Phogat is now set to face America’s Sarah Hildebrandt for the gold medal on August 7. A three-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist and two-time World Championships bronze medallist, Phogat's path to this historic moment has been truly inspirational.

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