Phogat was disqualified from the Olympics after being found overweight ahead of her women’s 50kg final.She was one win away from clinching India’s first gold medal at the Paris Olympics and was set to face United States wrestler Sarah Ann Hildebrandt for the gold medal on Wednesday night. Immediately after her disqualification, Prime Minister Modi described wrestler Vinesh Phogat as a “champion among champions” and exuded confidence that she would come back stronger following her disqualification from the final Olympic bout.
“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 been your nature to take challenges head on,” PM Modi posted on X. “Come back stronger! We are all rooting for you,” he added.
However, the Congress linked today’s developments to the protests against former Wrestling Federation of India head Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing trial over charges of sexual harassment and intimidation by women wrestlers. Vinesh Phogat had played an active role in the protests and had endured police detention, nights on the streets.
“Vinesh Phogat did not lose on the mat of wrestling, but lost on the mat of conspiracy,” Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said as he claimed that the wrestler had to suffer due to politics in sports.
Sports minister Mandaviya, who today made a statement in Lok Sabha on her disqualification, said Vinesh Phogat’s weight was 100gm more than the permissible limit for the category and the IOA has lodged a strong protest against the wrestler’s disqualification. The sports minister also gave details of the expenditure incurred on training of Phogat and said she was given everything she needed for her Olympics preparation.
Reacting to Mandaviya’s statement, NCP(SCP) leader Supriya Sule accused the sports minister of indirectly blaming Vinesh to be overweight and demanded a high-level probe against the support team. “The statement of the sports minister in Parliament on Vinesh Phogat is highly condemnable. Vinesh has lost a medal and there has to be a detailed inquiry of the nutritionist, the doctors, a physiotherapist, and the entire support team sanctioned and selected by the IOA that accompanied her. It’s the team’s job to ensure her fitness, diet and regimen during the Olympics to ensure her success. Her job was to go and win and bring glory to India, as a proud daughter of India,” Sule said.
“The support team was approved by the government and IOA and has to be held accountable. Mansukh Mandavia, the sports minister, justifying and defending the team is absurd and disgusting, indirectly blaming Vinesh to be overweight. She is a proud daughter of India who made the finals against all odds and much to the chagrin of the powers that be. Is this why she gets the blame and all the rest go scot free? A tweet here or there asking for an investigation by the IOC means nothing. It’s a sad day for sports and the seriousness with which the government and IOA treat women athletes,” Sule added.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi also alleged that the Union sports minister had made Vinesh Phogat the “fall girl” and wondered if this was because the wrestler had taken the “government head on in her quest for justice against BrijBhushan Sharan Singh.”
Priyanka Chaturvedi posted questions for the government:
- Will there be a detailed inquiry of the doctors, support team sanctioned and selected by the IOA?
- As an athlete herself did the chairperson PT Usha ensure that Vinesh was being monitored constantly to keep her well within the category she was competing in?
- Did the support team not ensure her weight and diet besides her training were being constantly supervised? After all it was the Olympics that one is competing in.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said that Vinesh was a brave and strong woman who had withstood all challenges thrown her way, including attempts to end her career. “The Indian Olympic Association needs to fight this injustice out and make a strong case for Vinesh,” she added.
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann also raised questions about the members of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
“I don’t want to connect with this politics. But please tell me, have the members of the Indian Olympic Association gone there on holiday? Indian Olympic Association did not object to this even once. There was no tweet (from PM Modi) when she (Vinesh Phogat) reached the final, but a tweet was posted when she was disqualified. Come on!” Bhagwant Mann told reporters.
“To check her weight was the work of her coaches and physiotherapists. Now, the decision has come. This injustice should have been stopped. Did they (The Centre) fix anyone’s accountability at the time when our women wrestlers went to immerse their medals in the river. Such mistakes are happening on such a high level. Coaches and physiotherapists are paid in lakhs. Have they gone there for holidays?” he added.
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Sanjay Singh demanded action against the support staff attached with Vinesh Phogat in the wake of her shock exit from the Paris Olympics, saying the blunder of not maintaining her weight before the final was not acceptable.
(With inputs from agencies)