Hindi English Translation || Editorial || ​Up but out: On Vinesh Phogat’s Olympic campaign

​Up but out: On Vinesh Phogat’s Olympic campaign

Vinesh Phogat went to extraordinary lengths to win a medal

It proved to be a tale (कहानी) of so near and yet so far for Vinesh Phogat on a sombre Wednesday in Paris. The 29-year-old wrestler with roots in Haryana was in red-hot (very strongly expected (to win/achieve something)) form and seemingly (प्रतीत होता है, जाहिर तौर पर) the force was with her in the women’s 50kg segment. However, hours before the summit clash (final match) against Sarah Ann Hildebrandt of the United States, Vinesh’s Olympic dreams of winning a gold fizzled out. In the acutely (तीव्रता से) razor-sharp lines (सीमा, रेखा) that distinguish (अंतर करना) weight categories especially in combat sport, India’s ace wrestler was found to be 100 grams above the stipulated (निर्धारित) 50kg at the 7.15 a.m. mandatory (अनिवार्य) weigh-in (under international rules, weigh-ins are organised each morning for each weight category. During the weigh-in process, wrestlers have the right to get on the scales. Referees check that all wrestlers are at the weight corresponding to the category they are competing in) before the final bout (मुकाबला). This was heartbreak (दिल टूटना) of the extreme kind for the athlete and the funereal (शोकपूर्ण) effect rippled through an expectant (eager, excited, waiting, anticipatory, hopeful, breathless, anxious) nation hoping for a gold or at least a silver. Having weighed 49.90kg on Tuesday morning, Vinesh acquired a massive halo (प्रभामंडल, गौरव) through the day, toppling (defeat, overcome, bring down, oust, unseat, overthrow) defending (reigning, current) champion Yui Susaki of Japan and eventually (अंततः) getting past Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez in the semifinal. At the mixed media zone (a space that allows the media and broadcasters to interview players as they leave the field of play or after the match), Vinesh waved (move one’s hand from side to side in greeting someone) to the scribes (journalist, reporter; writer, author) but refrained from (desist from, stop oneself, abstain, forgo, discontinue, hold back) having a chat. The alarm bells (warning sound, alarm signal, danger signal, alert), though, were ringing loud and clear within the Indian contingent (group, unit, team) as Vinesh and her support staff were conscious (wary, aware, alert to, careful, mindful, sensible) about her latest weight being 52.7kg.

The ensuing (following, resulting, resultant, eventual, sequential, subsequent) night was all about pursuing (engage in, conduct, take part in (an activity)) a crash course (a rapid and intense course of training) in losing extra kilos. Extreme measures (action, step, course of action) such as starvation (extreme hunger, lack of food, famine, undernourishment, malnourishment), water being ignored, frenetic (frantic, hyperactive, energetic, intense, fast and furious) exercises and induced (caused, effected, created, produced) nausea (the condition of feeling sick and the feeling that you are going to vomit) were all attempted. Even insomnia occurred and still the weighing machine did not budge (move, shift, make space) on Wednesday morning. With an original body weight of around 55kg, it was extraordinary (unbelievable, curious, surprising, unusual, rare, uncommon) that Vinesh even attempted to compete in the 50kg bout after finding her regular 53kg category spot resting with the emerging (growing, budding, fledgling, arising, burgeoning, promising, potential) Antim Panghal. The United World Wrestling (United World Wrestling (UWW) is the international governing body for the sport of amateur wrestling; its duties include overseeing wrestling at the Olympics), the sport’s governing body, is clear about the rules pertaining to body weight: if an athlete fails the weigh-in, he or she will be eliminated from the competition and ranked last. In the larger scheme, Vinesh’s charge (allegation, accusation) towards the victor’s podium (dais, platform, stage (to receive an award by finishing first, second, or third in a sporting event)), even if it culminated (end with, finish with, terminate with, conclude with, come to an end with) in despair (hopelessness, desperation, depression, distress, anguish, pain, gloom), was seen as a metaphor (figure of speech, figurative expression, comparison/symbol) for a larger battle that she and other wrestlers waged (engage in, undertake, carry on, continue, pursue (a battle)) against the former Wrestling Federation of India (the governing body of wrestling in India) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The allegations (charge, accusation) of sexual harassment (oppression, victimization, persecution, persistent annoyance, coercion/intimidation) centred around Brij Bhushan cleaved (split, split open, chop up, cut up, halve, crack open, divide, sever, splinter) India’s sporting heart; but an administrative system leaning on patriarchy (a family/group/society/community/government controlled by a man/a group of men, descent described through male line of the family), rebuffed (reject, refuse, turn down, decline, dismiss, brush off snub (a request)) the wrestlers before attempting a belated (late, behind time, not on time, delayed) clean-up (the process of cleaning/purging/cleansing something). Seen through that prism (a viewpoint which clarifies/distorts something), the overwhelming (very large, immense, massive, huge, formidable, sweeping, devastating, uncontrollable, unbearable) angst (anxiety, fear, dread, fearfulness, distress, worry, apprehension, nervousness, tension) over Vinesh’s exit is understandable. Rules are sacrosanct, and Vinesh found herself at the wrong end and her retirement announcement has left Indian sport poorer, while she still awaits (wait for) the verdict of the authorities (bureaucracy, officials, officialdom, the people in charge, the administration, the establishment, the system, corridors of power) over her appeal for a joint silver medal consideration (a fact taken into account in deciding something; factor, point, concern, issue, matter).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.campaign (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अभियान
English Meaning - a systematic course of action to achieve a target; crusade, drive, move, effort, strategy.

2.tale (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कहानी
English Meaning - story, narrative, report.

3.seemingly (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतीत होता है, जाहिर तौर पर
English Meaning - obviously, clearly, visibly, markedly, distinctly, manifestly; apparently, supposedly, evidently, reportedly, presumably, ostensibly.

4.acutely (verb)

Hindi Meaning - तीव्रता से
English Meaning - extremely, very.

5.line (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सीमा, रेखा
English Meaning - limit, margin.

6.distinguish (verb)

Hindi Meaning - अंतर करना
English Meaning - separate, set apart, decide between.

7.stipulated (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - निर्धारित
English Meaning - prescribed, fixed, specified, defined, required.

8.mandatory (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अनिवार्य
English Meaning - obligatory, compulsory, binding, necessary; required, essential.

9.bout (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मुकाबला
English Meaning - tournament, competition, event, game, match, contest, championship.

10.heartbreak (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दिल टूटना
English Meaning - suffering, sadness, distress, pain, hurt, angst, despair.

11.of the kind (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - इसी प्रकार का, इसी तरह का
English Meaning - something like/similar to what has just been mentioned.

12.funereal (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - शोकपूर्ण
English Meaning - sombre, gloomy, sad, cheerless, joyless, bleak, sorrowful.

13.halo (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रभामंडल, गौरव
English Meaning - glory, fame, glow; crown of light.

14.eventually (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - अंततः
English Meaning - ultimately, finally, at last, in the end.

15.loud and clear (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - स्पष्ट रूप से
English Meaning - very clearly; in a way that is easy to understand.

16.go to extraordinary lengths (phrase)

English Meaning - to make extreme effort to do something; to make great effort to achieve something.

17.so near and yet so far (phrase)

English Meaning - used to describe a situation where something seems within reach or achievable, but ultimately remains out of reach or unattainable.

18.sombre (adjective)

English Meaning - dull, grim, murky, gloomy, depressed, sad, cheerless, joyless, funereal .

19.root (noun)

English Meaning - origin, source, base, beginnings.

20.red-hot (adjective)

English Meaning - very strongly expected (to win/achieve something).

21.may the force be with you (phrase)

English Meaning - used to wish an individual or group good luck or good will.

22.summit clash (noun)

English Meaning - final match.

23.fizzle out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - fail, disappear, come to nothing, fall through, flop.

24.razor-sharp (adjective)

English Meaning - exceedingly sharp, acute, quick, ingenious, clever, intelligent.

25.combat sports (noun)

English Meaning - combat sports are sports that simulate hand‐to‐hand combat either with or without the use of weapons. They include boxing, fencing, wrestling, and numerous other martial arts.

26.ace (adjective)

English Meaning - outstanding, formidable, champion, magnificent, formidable.

27.weigh-in (noun)

English Meaning - under international rules, weigh-ins are organised each morning for each weight category. During the weigh-in process, wrestlers have the right to get on the scales. Referees check that all wrestlers are at the weight corresponding to the category they are competing in.

28.ripple through (verb)

English Meaning - (of a feeling) spread through, move across.

29.expectant (adjective)

English Meaning - eager, excited, waiting, anticipatory, hopeful, breathless, anxious.

30.topple (verb)

English Meaning - defeat, overcome, bring down, oust, unseat, overthrow.

31.defending (adjective)

English Meaning - reigning, current.

32.get past (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - beat, defeat, conquer, overwhelm; outdo outstrip, outdistance, go past, go beyond, rise above.

33.mixed (media) zone (noun)

English Meaning - a space that allows the media and broadcasters to interview players as they leave the field of play or after the match.

34.wave (verb)

English Meaning - move one’s hand from side to side in greeting someone.

35.scribe (noun)

English Meaning - journalist, reporter; writer, author.

36.refrain from (verb)

English Meaning - desist from, stop oneself, abstain, forgo, discontinue, hold back.

37.alarm bell (noun)

English Meaning - warning sound, alarm signal, danger signal, alert.

38.contingent (noun)

English Meaning - group, unit, team.

39.conscious (adjective)

English Meaning - wary, aware, alert to, careful, mindful, sensible.

40.ensuing (adjective)

English Meaning - following, resulting, resultant, eventual, sequential, subsequent.

41.pursue (verb)

English Meaning - engage in, conduct, take part in (an activity).

42.crash course (noun)

English Meaning - a rapid and intense course of training.

43.measure (noun)

English Meaning - action, step, course of action.

44.starvation (noun)

English Meaning - extreme hunger, lack of food, famine, undernourishment, malnourishment.

45.frenetic (adjective)

English Meaning - frantic, hyperactive, energetic, intense, fast and furious.

46.induced (adjective)

English Meaning - caused, effected, created, produced.

47.nausea (noun)

English Meaning - the condition of feeling sick and the feeling that you are going to vomit.

48.insomnia (noun)

English Meaning - a sleep disorder in which you have trouble falling and/or staying asleep.

49.budge (verb)

English Meaning - move, shift, make space.

50.extraordinary (adjective)

English Meaning - unbelievable, curious, surprising, unusual, rare, uncommon.

51.rest with (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - depend on someone or something

52.emerging (adjective)

English Meaning - growing, budding, fledgling, arising, burgeoning, promising, potential.

53.United World Wrestling (UWW) (noun)

English Meaning - United World Wrestling (UWW) is the international governing body for the sport of amateur wrestling; its duties include overseeing wrestling at the Olympics.

54.pertain to (verb)

English Meaning - concern, relate to, be connected with.

55.(in the larger) scheme of things (phrase)

English Meaning - in the way things normally/generally happen or arranged to happen (when compared with/related to other things) in a particular situation; a general view of the situation as a whole.

56.charge (noun)

English Meaning - allegation, accusation.

57.podium (noun)

English Meaning - dais, platform, stage (to receive an award by finishing first, second, or third in a sporting event).

58.culminate (verb)

English Meaning - end with, finish with, terminate with, conclude with, come to an end with.

59.despair (noun)

English Meaning - hopelessness, desperation, depression, distress, anguish, pain, gloom.

60.metaphor (noun)

English Meaning - figure of speech, figurative expression, comparison/symbol.

61.wage (verb)

English Meaning - engage in, undertake, carry on, continue, pursue (a battle).

62.Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) (noun)

English Meaning - the governing body of wrestling in India.

63.allegation (noun)

English Meaning - charge, accusation.

64.harassment (noun)

English Meaning - oppression, victimization, persecution, persistent annoyance, coercion/intimidation.

65.centre around (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to have something as the most important subject of discussion/interest; concentrate on, focus on, revolve about, revolve around.

66.cleave (verb)

English Meaning - split, split open, chop up, cut up, halve, crack open, divide, sever, splinter.

67.lean on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - depend on, be dependent, rely on, count on, bank on, cling to, have faith in.

68.patriarchy (noun)

English Meaning - a family/group/society/community/government controlled by a man/a group of men, descent described through male line of the family.

69.rebuff (verb)

English Meaning - reject, refuse, turn down, decline, dismiss, brush off snub (a request).

70.belated (adjective)

English Meaning - late, behind time, not on time, delayed.

71.clean-up (noun)

English Meaning - the process of cleaning/purging/cleansing something.

72.see through the prism (noun)

English Meaning - It is used to explain a way of looking at something in different ways so as to get a better understanding of it.

73.prism (noun)

English Meaning - a viewpoint which clarifies/distorts something.

74.overwhelming (adjective)

English Meaning - very large, immense, massive, huge, formidable, sweeping, devastating, uncontrollable, unbearable.

75.angst (noun)

English Meaning - anxiety, fear, dread, fearfulness, distress, worry, apprehension, nervousness, tension.

76.sacrosanct (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to something considered as too important or valuable that no one is permitted to criticize or change it; inviolable, unchallengeable, unimpeachable; sacred, holy, respected, hallowed

77.find oneself (verb)

English Meaning - to realize what you are really like and what you want to do.

78.on/at the wrong end (phrase)

English Meaning - unsuccessful in an activity.

79.await (verb)

English Meaning - wait for.

80.authorities (noun)

English Meaning - bureaucracy, officials, officialdom, the people in charge, the administration, the establishment, the system, corridors of power.

81.consideration (noun)

English Meaning - a fact taken into account in deciding something; factor, point, concern, issue, matter.