Vinesh Phogat had etched history on Tuesday. On Wednesday though, it meant nothing. A dream had been shattered. As 1.4 billion people anticipated the country's first gold medal from a female wrestler and their first medal of a different colour other than bronze, they were instead handed a massive setback with the news of the star grappler's disqualification due to being overweight.
Phogat being barred from Paris Olympics meant she would not get to play the final. Instead Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez whom Vinesh had beaten in the semis will feature in the gold medal bout. It all came down to being 100 grams overweight. Even a defeat in the final would have meant a silver medal to India whose medal tally remains stuck at 3, with all of them being bronze medals.
Not The First Time Vinesh Phogat Has Been Disqualified For Being Overweight
As India gradually comes to terms with what has happened, it is pertinent to note that that is not the first time that Vinesh Phogat has been disqualified for being overweight. Back in 2016, Phogat was featuring in the 48 kg category competition but was disqualified from the first World Olympic Qualifying event for the Rio Olympic Games.
While on this occasion, Vinesh has been found overweight by 100 grams, back then she was weighed 400 grams more than what she was supposed to be eligible for the 48 kg competition. She, however, received the backing of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) back then.
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Before Paris Olympics 2024, Vinesh switched to the 50 kg category with WFI deciding to go ahead with World Championships bronze medallist Antim Panghal in Vinesh's preferred 53 kg category. Even after her disqualification, the Indian sports fraternity has extended their support to the wrestler.