Indian female wrestler is disqualified from gold medal match after making Olympic history

[Pelican Press 0]

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Indian female wrestler is disqualified from gold medal match after making Olympic history

Despite being disqualified from the gold medal match just hours after she made Olympic history, Vinesh Phogat is still being hailed by many online for her bravery and resilience.

The wrestler from Team India, who on Tuesday became the first woman from her country to make the Olympic finals, will not be participating in the women’s wrestling 50kg gold-medal match due to being “a few grams” over the weight class, according to the Indian Olympic Association.

Many social media users expressed disappointment over the ruling but found solace in Phogat’s impassioned activism against ******* harassment in her sport, including making major allegations against the former president of the Wrestling Federation of India.

You are India’s hero

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! You are a real world hero who put an MP behind bars, who stood up for values when many refused to talk about it. You will always be the hero of India no matter whether you come back with a medal or not!

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— easternerd (@GreenWireIndian)

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The Indian Olympic Association didn’t elaborate on the matter and requested privacy for Phogat.

The 29-year-old, who had been set to wrestle Team USA’s Sarah Hildebrandt in Wednesday’s final, had bested the reigning gold medalist Yui Susaki of Japan by a 3-2 decision before going on to defeat Ukraine’s Oksana Livach in the quarterfinal and Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez in the semifinal.

Many fans are saying Phogat’s disqualification was particularly heartbreaking given what she represents to women back home. Last year, she led a group of fellow wrestlers in protesting the behavior of then-WFI president and lawmaker Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. In a

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, the group accused Singh of ******* harassment against several young female wrestlers. It also alleged that, after Phogat missed out on a medal at the Tokyo Olympics, Singh “mentally harassed and tortured” her, driving the wrestler to the point of almost contemplating ********.

The group led by Phogat demanded an investigation and called for Singh to be axed, and for the WFI to be dissolved.

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against Singh have included groping and inappropriate physical contact. He was

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with ********, stalking and ******* harassment in June of last year and the

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is currently underway. He has

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on multiple occasions.

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Image: Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat (Arun Thakur / AFP – Getty Images file)

“We as senior wrestlers who ****** for the country only want to ensure a safe and secure place and environment for our young wrestlers especially female wrestlers,” Phogat and several other athletes wrote in the letter to the Indian Olympic Association. “They do not deserve to be in an environment of intimidation. We will not budge until the WFI President is sacked.”

Over the course of several months, the wrestlers also lodged police complaints and launched marches and other forms of resistance. Last May, Phogat and other protesters were

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and detained by riot police, accused of disturbing the peace after they attempted to march toward the Parliament building. They also slept on the streets of New Delhi for

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before Singh was charged.

“Today we can stand without *****, our head held high, look him in the eye, the man we were afraid of for so many years,” Phogat wrote in the

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. “Brij Bhushan has got the message that we are not going anywhere until women wrestlers get justice.”

After Phogat’s disqualification, India’s

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interrupted Parliament to demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi speak out against it. Modi hasn’t condemned the ruling, but he did praise Phogat as “a champion among champions.”

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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My intervention today in Parliament. “Medal or no medal, we salute you. You are a hero Vinesh Phogat. Thank you for what you have done for India”

BRAVE VINESH PHOGAT who fought the whole establishment deserves justice. Something is rotten. Very rotten. THE TRUTH MUST COME OUT.

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— Derek O’Brien | ডেরেক ও’ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp)

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What Vinesh Phogat achieved yesterday is above and beyond any heroism we know of. Medal or no medal, the tale of her iron will is bound to transcend generations. She will inspire millions of our ****** to ****** and never give in to this rotten system.

— Lord Meow (@RanjibMazumder)

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Dear

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You are pure Gold to every Indian rooting for you. A champion of champions & a hero to all the women of India. I’m so sorry for how things turned out for you. ***** up & be strong. Life is not always fair

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