/wion/media/agency_attachments/2024/12/26/2024-12-26t112006978z-wion-white-logo-for-website-2-1.png){kind=logo}
/wion/media/agency_attachments/2024/12/13/2024-12-13t071548098z-wionlogo.webp)
/wion/media/post_attachments/files/2024/08/07/447969-mixcollage-07-aug-2024-01-21-pm-2657.jpg)
New Delhi, India
On Wednesday (Aug 7), India suffered a huge blow as wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified ahead of her gold medal match in the women's 50kg freestyle wrestling final at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024 edition. The in-form wrestler was deemed to be overweight and, hence, got disqualified.
The news shocked the entire country as the whole of India was expecting Vinesh to bring home a gold. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah, Olympic medallists PV Sindhu and Abhinav Bindra, etc., reacted to Vinesh's shocking disqualification.
PM Modi wrote on X, formerly Twitter, "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."
Here are how some big names responded:
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…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 7, 2024
Dear @Phogat_Vinesh, you will always be a champion in our eyes. I was deeply hoping you could win the gold. The little time I spent with you at PDCSE was watching a woman with a superhuman will fight to get better. It was inspiring. I am here for you always, sending all the…
— Pvsindhu (@Pvsindhu1) August 7, 2024
Vinesh Phogat's setback in the Olympics has certainly broken the hopes of millions of Indians. She has a brilliant sporting career, shining with the glory of defeating the world champion. This misfortune is merely an exception in her trailblazing career, from which I am sure she…
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) August 7, 2024
Completely gutted . Sometimes u dont need a gold medal to be a true champion to people….
— Abhinav A. Bindra OLY (@Abhinav_Bindra) August 7, 2024
The news on Vinesh is heartbreaking. I have no words - cannot even imagine what she and her team are going through @Paris2024 we all knew that Vineshs true weight is 53kg however I was sure her team had found a way for her to fight in 50kg - this is gut wrenching
— Parth Jindal (@ParthJindal11) August 7, 2024
More reactions:
Just for 100gms?? ?
This sounds too unbelievable..
That much weight can maybe be reduced just by shaving the head
— Dhruv Rathee (@dhruv_rathee) August 7, 2024
If you ever think you are unlucky in your life
Remember India Olympic campaign 2024. No cricket heartbreak was bigger than this Olympics
#Phogat_Vinesh pic.twitter.com/qdiBE2gNIQ
— A Cricket Fan ?? (@BhartArmy) August 7, 2024
I just hope we will all word our headlines properly today. Vinesh Phogat is not "OVERWEIGHT"
She is competing in the 50kg category and missed the cut by 150 grams. These are wrestlers who go days without water and food so they can shave off one gram after another.
In Vinesh's…
— Lavanya ?️???? (@lav_narayanan) August 7, 2024
Ecstacy and exasperation all in a matter of 12 hours. Vinesh Phogat's qualification to the final was India's only silver lining till now in the campaign. The joy is short-lived as Vinesh is now disqualified. Terrible news #Olympics
— Sarang Bhalerao (@bhaleraosarang) August 7, 2024
Sometimes 100 grams is so heavy that it weigh downs your Olympic dreams.
The tiniest weights can cause the biggest heartbreaks.#VineshPhogat pic.twitter.com/76cjvHhl5T
— Sagar (@sagarcasm) August 7, 2024
As per sources, Indian PM also spoke with IOA President PT Usha about Vinesh's setback, urging her to explore all options and file a strong protest against her disqualification. A top official in the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) told PTI, "Vinesh was overweight, so she was disqualified from the competition."
Competing in the 50kg, contrary to her usual 53kg, Vinesh beat the likes of Japanese superstar Yui Susaki , Ukraine's Oksana Livach and Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez to become the first Indian woman to reach the final of a wrestling event in Olympic Games on Tuesday (Aug 6). However, Vinesh was deemed overweight on the day of her gold medal match, against USA's Sarah Hildebrandt, and got disqualified. Her final bout was set to take place later on Wednesday.
Vinesh did everything she could to weigh under the permissible limit, however, all her efforts fell flat. This comes as a huge shock to the Indian contingent, who were expecting its maiden gold in Paris Olympics courtesy of in-form Vinesh.