ONE Championship: Ritu Phogat feels for Denice Zamboanga, but says ‘there’s nothing we can do’
- ‘The Indian Tigress’ compares Denice Zamboanga’s split decision defeat by Ham Seo-hee to her own controversial loss to Bi Nguyen
- ‘The judges’ word is final and we have to respect that,’ says Phogat – ‘that’s what I did when I thought the verdict was not fair’
India’s Ritu Phogat went from losing her spot in ONE Championship’s atomweight grand prix to being a shock participant in the semi-finals.
Despite the roller coaster ride that the 27-year old wrestling stand-out has been on in 2021, her best efforts were overshadowed by the opening round‘s final bout.
“I‘m aware of the controversy that happened,” Phogat told the Post. “This is perhaps the same thing that happened to me when fighting Bi [Nguyen].
“But having said that, I think the [judges’] word is the final word and we have to respect that, and that’s precisely what I had done during my previous match where I thought the verdict was not fair.
“Ultimately, we have to abide by what the referees say and there’s nothing much we can do about it. The referee’s call is the final call.”
