Vinesh Phogat was scheduled to go to Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics on Tuesday, but she was prevented from boarding her connecting flight at Frankfurt Airport when authorities discovered that she had been in the EU for 91 days instead of the 90 days allowed by her Schengen visa.
"It was a mistake that was not made on purpose. “After she landed in Frankfurt from Budapest, it was assessed that she had been in the EU for 91 days instead of the 90 days allowed by her Schengen visa,” an IOA officer said. “SAI acted quickly, and the Indian embassy in Frankfurt arrived at the airport to resolve the situation. Vinesh will arrive in Tokyo today.”
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Vinesh Phogat had high hopes for India going into the Rio Olympics, but she was forced to withdraw from her quarter-final battle due to a knee injury. Phogat will compete in the women's freestyle 53kg event in the summer games in August, hoping to redeem herself for Tokyo 2020. On August 5, Phogat will compete in her first match at the Tokyo Olympics.
The event's Round of 16 and Quarter-Finals matches will begin at 8 a.m. She will compete in the Semi-Finals round later in the day if she qualifies. The event's repechages will begin at 7:30 a.m. on August 6, and if qualified, Phogat will compete in the medal rounds later that day.
Vinesh Phogat has competed in a number of major tournaments on behalf of India. At the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, she won gold in the women's freestyle 48kg division. Phogat also took home the gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games, making her the first Indian woman wrestler to do so.