Team India's campaign at the 2024 Paris Olympics has been riddled with unfortunate incidents. Despite moments of brilliance, the Indian contingent has faced a series of setbacks. Vinesh Phogat's disqualification due to a slight weight change, Amit Rohidas' controversial red card and potential match ban, the disputed judging in Nishant Dev's boxing match, and multiple 4th place finishes are emblematic of the challenges the Indian athletes have faced.
The Indian men's hockey team won a thrilling quarter-final against Great Britain, advancing to the semifinals despite being reduced to ten men early in the second quarter. Captain Harmanpreet Singh scored a crucial goal in a controversial game. Rohidas received a red card for allegedly striking an opponent's face with his stick, a decision made by the video referee that Hockey India contested. They lodged a formal complaint citing inconsistent umpiring and questionable decisions, including coaching from behind the goalpost and the use of a video tablet by the opposing goalkeeper during the shootout. These controversies cast doubt on the officiating, ultimately leading to Rohidas' suspension from the semifinal game.
Nishant experienced a contentious quarter-final loss to Mexico's Marco Verde in boxing. Despite appearing dominant in the early rounds, Nishant lost by a split decision, leading to widespread criticism of the scoring system. Former Olympic medallist Vijender Singh and actor Randeep Hooda were among those who questioned the fairness of the decision, believing Nishant was unjustly denied a medal. This controversy added to the Indian boxing team's woes, as Amit Panghal also faced a surprising defeat in the men's 51kg category.
Vinesh mishap the most heart-breaking of the lot
Perhaps the most heartbreaking incident involved wrestler Vinesh. After a remarkable run to the final in the women's 50kg category, Vinesh was disqualified for failing to meet the weight requirement by a narrow margin. Despite being within the limit initially, her weight increased slightly after intense matches. This disqualification was a crushing blow to the Indian contingent, as Vinesh had made history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final. The same day, Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Mirabai Chanu finished fourth in the 49kg weightlifting final, narrowly missing out on a podium finish, as her best effort of lifting 199kg was not enough.
{{/usCountry}}Perhaps the most heartbreaking incident involved wrestler Vinesh. After a remarkable run to the final in the women's 50kg category, Vinesh was disqualified for failing to meet the weight requirement by a narrow margin. Despite being within the limit initially, her weight increased slightly after intense matches. This disqualification was a crushing blow to the Indian contingent, as Vinesh had made history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final. The same day, Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Mirabai Chanu finished fourth in the 49kg weightlifting final, narrowly missing out on a podium finish, as her best effort of lifting 199kg was not enough.
{{/usCountry}}Speaking of which, India has contributed to a growing number of fourth-place finishes at the Olympics this year. In sports ranging from archery to badminton to shooting, we have had five fourth-place finishes at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Arjun Babuta lost out on a podium finish by just 1.4 points in the men's 10m rifle final. While the mixed archery team of Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhakat had the best result for India in Olympic archery, they lost 6-2 to the USA in the bronze medal match.
Manu Bhaker missed a chance to clinch a third consecutive Olympic medal after falling to Hungary in the women's 25m air pistol shooting bronze medal shoot-off. Lakshya Sen made history by becoming the first Indian male shuttler to reach the men's badminton semifinals but lost to Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia in the bronze medal match. Anantjeet Singh and Maheshwari Chauhan, too, missed a historic bronze medal in Mixed Skeet.