Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat faced disqualification from the Paris Olympics after failing the mandatory weigh-in. Despite being on the brink of a historic gold medal bout in the women’s 50kg wrestling category, she was found to be 100 grams over the weight limit, disqualifying her from the competition.
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) filed an appeal with United World Wrestling (UWW) to reconsider the decision. However, UWW chief Nenad Lalovic confirmed that the rules could not be changed. “I don’t see anything that can be done. It is the competition’s rules and I really don’t think it is possible (to overturn the decision),” he told reporters.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha described the disqualification as “very shocking” and assured that Phogat was receiving all necessary medical and emotional support from the team. Despite efforts made throughout the night, Phogat was slightly over the permissible weight during the morning weigh-in, leading to her disqualification.
Lalovic emphasized the importance of adhering to international wrestling rules, which disqualify any wrestler who fails the weigh-in. “The rules are rules. I feel very sorry for her. She was overweight by a very small margin. The weigh-in process is public, all the athletes are there. It’s impossible to let someone who doesn’t pass the weigh-in participate,” he stated.
When asked if Phogat could be considered for the silver medal since she had reached the finals after passing the initial weigh-in, Lalovic ruled out the possibility. “Impossible (to give her the medal because she reached the final). Because the brackets are changing, everything is changing. And anyway, the rules are rules. Everybody who goes to the competition knows they have a second weighing in the next day,” he explained.
Lalovic also dismissed the idea of making an exception for Phogat’s case, noting that allowing a 100-gram overage could lead to requests for further leniency. “If we allow this 100 gm, there will be a request for another 100 gms,” he said.
Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification from the Paris Olympics was a significant setback for India, as she was close to making history as the country’s first female wrestler to compete in an Olympic final. Despite appeals and the emotional toll, the rules were upheld, and no exceptions were made.
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