Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from women's 50kg wrestling final© AFP
The celebration turned into sombre in less than 24 hours on Wednesday in the ancestral village of Vinesh Phogat, the wrestler who was disqualified from the Paris Olympics for being overweight, in Haryana's Charki Dadri. Family members of the wrestler were celebrating her victory on Tuesday night after she became the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the final of the Olympic Games with a convincing 5-0 win over Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez. Her uncle Mahavir Phogat became emotional when she was disqualified.
“She might have eaten something due to which she was overweight. She will work harder in the future. The country is saddened. She will try again for 2028,” he told the media.
Responding to her disqualification by the event organisers as she was a few grams overweight on the morning of her gold medal match against USA's Sarah Ann Hildebrandt, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X, “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,” the PM added.
Saying Phogat's setback in the Olympics has certainly broken the hopes of millions of Indians, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, “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 will bounce back to be the winner she always is. Our best wishes and support are always with her.”
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