©Olympics
India’s top wrestler, Vinesh Phogat, faced a significant setback at the Paris Olympics when she was disqualified from the women’s 50kg wrestling final due to being just 100 grams overweight during the weigh-in.
The 29-year-old athlete was on a remarkable journey, overcoming months of challenges in Delhi to deliver stellar performances at the Paris Olympics. Phogat made headlines by ending the unbeaten streak of defending champion Yui Susaki and defeating Yusneylis Guzman of Cuba. She was on track to win gold and bring glory to her nation, even sharing an emotional promise of “Gold lana hai” in a video call. Unfortunately, her dreams were shattered when she was found ineligible to compete in the final.
Despite her team’s dedicated efforts throughout Tuesday night, Phogat could not meet the weight requirement at Wednesday’s weigh-in, resulting in the loss of India’s chance for a gold medal in the women’s 50kg category.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) expressed deep regret over this disqualification in a public statement:
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.
