A day after Vinesh Phogat made history by becoming the first Indian woman to reach an Olympic wrestling final, she was disqualified for being overweight on the second day of the competition in the 50 kg category.Her victory on Tuesday over Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez in the freestyle semi-finals had secured India at least a silver medal. Sources said she was overweight by 100 grams.
“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. 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,” the official statement read.
The news sent shockwaves through the nation, with widespread support pouring in for the distraught athlete. Veteran actor and politician, Hema Malini, reacting to the setback, told PTI, “It is very surprising, and it feels strange that she was disqualified for being 100 gm overweight. Iss hum sabhi kalakaron aur mahilaon ko seekh acchi leni chahiye (It is important to keep the weight in check. It is a lesson for all of us, women and artists). 100 gm also matters a lot. I wish she would lose that 100 gm quickly but she would not get an opportunity.”
Taapsee Pannu also expressed her sorrow on social media, stating, “This is heartbreaking but honestly, this woman has already made her mark beyond gold by now! @vineshphogat.”
Actor, singer, and drag artiste Sushant Divgikar also reacted to the news, writing, “News just came in that Vinesh Phogat has been disqualified for being ‘Overweight’ by about 100 grams. This is heartbreaking but doesn’t change that on the day she wrestled current world champion, SHE WON fair & square! For me, that makes her the champion! Congratulations Champion.”
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi also conveyed his support by tweeting, “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. Come back stronger! We are all rooting for you.”
Phogat was unable to meet the weight criteria for the 50 kg final on Wednesday morning, leading to her disqualification. Sources indicate she was approximately 100 grams overweight. Under competition rules, this resulted in the loss of not only the gold medal opportunity, but also the silver, leaving the category with just a gold and bronze medallist. Despite staying awake all night and resorting to intensive weight reduction measures, Phogat couldn’t overcome the deficit.
Earlier, Bollywood celebrities, including Taapsee, Rajkummar Rao, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Ayushmann Khurrana, and Riteish Deshmukh, congratulated her for her victory and applauded her achievements. Riteish Deshmukh lauded Phogat’s performance, tweeting, “That’s what a champion looks like after beating the World No. 1 & Defending Olympic Gold Medal holder #VineshPhogat.”