Kicked, crushed in her own country: Bajrang's post for Vinesh Phogat goes viral after historic win
New Delhi, Aug 6: 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.
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 to back matches today. Defeated 4-time World Champion and defending Olympic champion. After that she defeated 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 Sharan Singh.
"But let me tell you one thing. This girl was kicked 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 third attempt.
This was after she caused the biggest wrestling upset in the 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 against 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 medal playoff.
Vinesh had failed to win a medal in her two previous Olympic appearances. She has won two bronze medals in 53kg in World Championships in 2019 and 2022.
विनेश फोगाट भारत की वो शेरनी जिसने आज बैक टू बैक मैच में
— Bajrang Punia 🇮🇳 (@BajrangPunia) August 6, 2024
4 बार की World Champion और मौजूदा ओलंपिक चैंपियन को हराया
उसके बाद क्वार्टरफाइनल में पूर्व World Champion को हराया
मगर एक बात बताऊं,
ये लड़की अपने देश में लातों से कुचली गई थी
ये लड़की अपने देश में सड़कों पर घसीटी गई…
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Syria says Israeli strikes leave 18 dead in the biggest toll since the war in Gaza began
Masyaf (Syria), Sep 9: The number of people killed in overnight Israeli strikes in Syria has risen to 18 with dozens more wounded, Syria's health minister said on Monday — the largest death toll in such an attack since the beginning of the war in Gaza.
One of the sites targeted was a research centre used in the development of weapons, a war monitor said. Syrian officials said civilian sites were targeted.
Israel regularly targets military sites in Syria linked to Iran and the Lebanese group Hezbollah. Those strikes have become more frequent as Hezbollah has exchanged fire with Israeli forces for the past 11 months against the backdrop of Israel's war against Hamas — a Hezbollah ally — in Gaza.
However, the intensity and death toll of Sunday night's strikes were unusual.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of war-torn Syria in recent years, but it rarely acknowledges or discusses the operations. The strikes often target Syrian forces or Iranian-backed groups.
Israel has vowed to stop Iranian entrenchment in Syria, particularly since Syria is a key route for Iran to send weapons to Hezbollah.
Israeli strikes hit several areas in central Syria, damaging a highway in Hama province and sparking fires, Syrian state news agency SANA said.
Speaking to reporters, Syrian Health Minister Hassan al-Ghabbash described the strikes as a “brutal and barbaric aggression”. He said the death toll had risen to 18 with nearly 40 wounded.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, said 25 were killed, including at least five civilians, while the others included Syrian army soldiers and members of Hezbollah and other Iran-linked armed groups.
One strike targeted a scientific research centre in Masyaf, and others struck sites where “Iranian militias and experts are stationed to develop weapons in Syria”, the observatory said. It said the research centre was reportedly used for developing weapons, including short- and medium-range precision missiles and drones.
Minister of Electricity Mohammad al-Zamel said the strikes had caused “truly significant” damage to water and electricity infrastructure.
“This brutal attack targeted civilian targets, and the martyrs were mostly civilians, as were the wounded,” he said.
Local media also reported strikes around the coastal city of Tartous, which the observatory said were the result of air defense missiles falling.
On Monday afternoon, a charred car remained at the scene of one strike and smoke was still rising from some spots where fires had been put out.
