Olympic Dreams Shattered: Vinesh Phogat Disqualified Over 100 Grams

An entire nation's hopes were dashed by a mere 100 grams. Hours before her gold medal match on Wednesday, Vinesh Phogat stepped on the scale and saw a horrifying number. For her 50kg category fight, she was 100 grams overweight, leading to an automatic disqualification on what could have been the biggest day of her career.

Dehydrated after three gruelling bouts on Tuesday, Vinesh had only small amounts of water, cut her hair, and stayed up all night working out to ensure she didn't exceed the weight limit. Despite her efforts, she couldn't shed the extra weight. Indian officials pleaded for more time, but the rules remained unchanged.

Appeal and Support

In a last-ditch effort, Vinesh challenged the disqualification in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), demanding at least a joint silver medal with the losing finalist. The CAS ad-hoc division, operational specifically for the Games, will decide on this matter on Thursday morning.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his support for Vinesh, calling her "a champion among champions" in a social media post. Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya stated that a strong protest had been lodged with United World Wrestling (UWW).

Political Reactions

Opposition parties saw a conspiracy in Vinesh's shocking reversal of fortunes. She had recently been a prominent figure in protests against government inaction on sexual harassment allegations against former Wrestling Federation of India head Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. INDIA bloc MPs even held a protest on Parliament premises.

As Vinesh recovered from the emotional and physical trauma at a polyclinic in the Olympic Games Village, political figures in Delhi traded barbs over who was responsible for the situation. Meanwhile, many across the country struggled to comprehend how things went so wrong for Tuesday's showstopper in just a few hours.

Medical and Emotional Support

"We are providing Vinesh all medical and emotional support," said Indian Olympic Association President P.T. Usha in a statement. She was later seen comforting Vinesh at the Games Village clinic. The Wrestling Federation of India has filed an appeal to UWW to reconsider the disqualification decision, which IOA is following up strongly.

The cold fact remained that Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who lost to Vinesh in the semifinals, replaced her in the final. Chief Medical Officer Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala explained that every possible trick was used to ensure Vinesh could meet the weight limit.

The Weight Cut Process

The weight cut process involves restricting food and water intake along with sweating from exercises and sauna until the morning weigh-in. This causes weakness and energy depletion, which is counterproductive to participation. "For energy restoration, limited water and high-energy foods are given after weigh-in," Pardiwala said.

Pardiwala revealed that Vinesh's post-participation weight had increased on Tuesday night, prompting drastic measures like cutting off her hair. However, she still exceeded her allowed weight of 50kg. International rules state that any grappler found overweight at weigh-in ends up at the bottom of the final standings.

Official Statements

UWW President Nenad Lalovic expressed sympathy for Vinesh but stated that rules cannot be changed retrospectively. "UWW follows set rules in all competitions including the Games," he said. "Its decision to disqualify Vinesh is in line with international wrestling rules."

This outcome was particularly devastating as she had defeated defending champion Yui Susaki of Japan en route to the finals. Vinesh's ouster means that only one bronze medal will be awarded in the 50kg category instead of two.

Reactions from Coaching Staff

The Indian wrestling contingent oscillated between anger and despair. "Everyone here feels as if someone in the family has died," said India's national women's coach Virender Dahiya. The coaching staff met Vinesh at the polyclinic after she felt better and noted that she seemed to have made peace with the situation.

The Wrestling Federation of India claimed that her personal support staff should be held accountable for not preventing this situation. WFI President Sanjay Singh requested action against those responsible and shared a letter sent to UWW requesting reconsideration of the disqualification.

Future Prospects

Vinesh's natural body weight is around 56-57kg, making it challenging for her to get down to 50kg. She had been competing in the 53kg category but lost to Antim Panghal in trials, forcing her to go further down. While UWW allows a grace of up to 2kg in invitational tournaments, no such relaxation exists for major events like the Olympics.

Vinesh had stated before the Games that this would be her final outing in the quadrennial showpiece. It remains uncertain if she will change her mind after this setback. Her uncle and Dronacharya awardee wrestling coach Mahavir Phogat believes she will continue.