E-Paper
Modi speaks to IOA chief, seeks info on options available for Vinesh Phogat
Union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya was separately expected to speak in Lok Sabha at 3 pm on Phogat, who will lose her confirmed medal
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday spoke to Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha and sought first-hand information on the options available as wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the Paris Olympics after weighing a few grams over her 50kg weight division. People aware of the matter said Modi asked Usha to explore the range of options to help and to file a strong protest regarding the disqualification if that helps.
Union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya was separately expected to speak in Lok Sabha at 3 pm on Phogat, who will lose her confirmed medal for which she was to fight for gold on Wednesday.
It is understood that she was 100 grams over the permissible weight when she arrived for the morning weigh-in. Phogat was within the required weight on Tuesday, the first day of her bouts at these Olympics.
IOA said despite the best efforts through the night, she weighed in a few grams over 50kg.
In a post on X, Modi called Phogat a champion among champions and said come back stronger. “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,” he wrote. “We are all rooting for you.”
As per the rules, if an athlete fails at the weight-in (first or second), they “will be eliminated from the competition and ranked last”. Officials of the IOA contingent and medical team here and the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) tried to seek a bit more time and plead for their case but to no avail.
It is learnt that after Phogat’s bouts on Tuesday—she fought three of them and beat the favourite Yui Susaki in the first round—she was overweight by a couple of kilograms by night. Phogat chose to drop down to compete in the 50kg category for this Olympics and her natural weight is around 55kg. The Indian wrestler was up all night trying to trim the extra kilos through several means.
