Vinesh Phogat Faces Disqualification: Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who was all set to compete in the Women's 50kg Final, has been disqualified by the authorities on the grounds of 'weight' category, as she was reportedly recorded 'overweight' by 100 grams. With this, India's hopes for a Gold Medal on August 7 have been shattered and it is indeed, a true heartbreak for the nation.
"It is with regret that the Indian contingent shares news of the disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from the Women’s Wrestling 50kg class. Despite the best efforts by the team through the night, she weighed in a few grams over 50kg this morning. No further comments will be made by the contingent at this time. The Indian team requests you respect Vinesh’s privacy. It would like to focus on the competitions on hand," said Indian Olympic Association in an officially released statement on Wednesday.
Vinesh Phogat's Epic Journey At Paris Olympics 2024 So Far
Vinesh Phogat, the 29-year old Indian wrestler from Bhiwani, Haryana, stepped onto the mat for the first time at Paris Olympics 2024 on August 6, when she took on the World Number 1, the defending Olympic champion, Susaki Yui in her Round of 16 bout. No one gave her a chance, as the Japanese wrestler is a four-time world champion, and had not conceded even a single point at the Olympics since 2020.
Also, she was on a crazy winning-streak, but the Indian wrestler had other plans, as she produced one of the most shocking results in the history of sport by eliminating the defending Olympic champion. She gained much-needed momentum from that win, and after that, in her quarter-final fixture, she took on world number 8, the Ukrainian, Livach Oksana, which she managed to win 7-5, and entered the semi-finals.
The Indian wrestler sealed her date with destiny after a convincing 5-0 win over Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez in the semi-final, and was all set to face Sarah Ann Hildebrandst from the United States of America in the final, but with her disqualification, it is now not the case.