Indian wrestling star Vinesh Phogat disqualified before gold medal bout after coming in 100 grams overweight

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Indian wrestling star Vinesh Phogat disqualified before gold medal bout after coming in 100 grams overweight

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’s star wrestler Vinesh Phogat has been disqualified from the Paris

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on the morning of her gold medal ****** after coming in overweight, officials said.

Phogat was slated to lock horns with Sarah Hildebrandt of the US later on Wednesday after defeating Cuba’s Yusneylys Guzmán in the 50kg semifinal.

Sources told The Indian Express Phogat was about 2kg overweight on Tuesday night. She made a desperate bid to make weight by jogging, skipping and cycling through the night. But at a weigh-in in the morning she was still 100 grams over, the daily reported.

The Indian Olympic Association confirmed her disqualification at around 8.30am Paris time. “It is with regret that the Indian contingent shares news of the disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from the Women’s Wrestling 50kg class. Despite the best efforts by the team through the night, she weighed in a few grams over 50kg this morning,” it said in a statement.

“No further comments will be made by the contingent at this time. The Indian team requests you respect Vinesh’s privacy. It would like to focus on the competitions on hand.”

This means Phogat, who was assured a silver medal at least, will not be eligible for a medal. She will also be ranked last under the rules, missing the chance to become the first Indian wrestler to win an Olympics gold.

The Olympian has been admitted to a polyclinic in the Olympic Village after she fainted from dehydration, reported India Today, citing sources. She is stable and resting, the outlet reported.

Meanwhile, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi voiced his support for the Olympian, calling her “a champion among champions! You are India’s pride and an inspiration for each and every Indian”.

Vinesh, you are a champion among champions! You are India’s pride and an inspiration for each and every Indian.

Today’s setback hurts. I wish words could express the sense of despair that I am experiencing.

At the same time, I know that you epitomise resilience. It has always…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi)

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“Today’s setback hurts. I wish words could express the sense of despair that I am experiencing. At the same time, I know that you epitomise resilience. It has always been your nature to take challenges head on. Come back stronger! We are all rooting for you,” he wrote on X.

Her shock disqualification also led to a wave of outrage against the management and support staff travelling with the contingent.

“Vinesh Phogat disqualification on the verge of a gold & a sealed silver is a national sporting tragedy,” said journalist Shekhar Gupta. “Shocking ******** also by team, contingent bosses & coach. Wrestlers’ weight management issues when fighting on consecutive days are well known. It’s a management disaster.”

Vinesh Phogat disqualification on the verge of a gold & a sealed silver is a national sporting tragedy. Shocking ******** also by team, contingent bosses & coach. Wrestlers’ weight management issues when fighting on consecutive days are well known. It’s a management disaster.

— Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta)

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The team must answer. Who were her dietician? How could we let this happen? How can she gain weight in a day’s time !!!

Too many questions.

— Nehr_who? (@Nher_who)

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Phogat, who usually competes in the 53kg category, had to switch to the 50kg category to ensure her qualification for the Olympics.

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Vinesh Phogat of Team India (red) competes with Yusneylis Guzman Lopez of Team Cuba (blue) during the Wrestling Women’s Freestyle 50kg Semifinal on day eleven of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 (Getty Images)

“I will have to manage my weight a lot better. I have brought myself down to 50kg after so long, so I will try and maintain this as much as I can. It’s not easy for me not to put on weight because my muscle mass is very high,” she told the Press Trust of India in April.

Despite being a celebrated athlete, her journey to the Games this year had not been easy. Phogat was a leading figure in street protests last year after allegations of ******* ****** were raised against the Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan.

She took to the streets with fellow Olympians Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, only to be manhandled by police while protesting a stone’s throw away from the Indian parliament.

The protests proved a headache for the government, but won Phogat new legions of fans among ordinary Indians. Many expressed their sadness at Wednesday’s turn of events.

Neeraj Chopra, India’s flagbearer who won gold in the men’s javelin event at the last Olympics, spoke for many when he said: “I feel saddened to see this. There has to be a better way to deal with this.”

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Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat with others are detained by the police while attempting to march to India’s new parliament (AFP via Getty Images)

“I am fighting for the future generation of wrestlers. Not for myself, my career is done and this is my last Olympics,” Punia, who won bronze at the Tokyo Games, said Phogat told him, ESPN reported on Tuesday.

“I want to ****** for the young women wrestlers who will come and ****** for them so that they can wrestle safely. That’s why I was in Jantar Mantar and that’s why I am here.”

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Indian wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Anshu Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik along with others wrestlers take part in an ongoing protest against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), in New Delhi on 19 January 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)

In November 2023, Phogat told ESPN that she had assured Punia and Malik she would continue fighting. “They both have Olympic medals, I don’t. I have a reason to ******. If I train well, I can win a medal. No one can stop me.”

“I will look him in the eye and bring back a medal and show it to him,” she said, referring to Singh, the wrestling federaion chief.

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#Indian #wrestling #star #Vinesh #Phogat #disqualified #gold #medal #bout #coming #grams #overweight

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