Vinesh Phogat disqualified: In a major heartbreak for India, expectating of winning a gold in wrestling, Vinesh Phogat, who lodged a stunning victory in the 50kg freestyle wrestling semi-final on Tuesday, has been disqualified from the Paris Olympics after she was found overweight ahead of the gold medal bout.
Sources told The Indian Express that the wrestler was roughly 100 grams over the permissible limits, which has led to her disqualification.
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“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,” the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said in a statement.
The wrestler reportedly tried to do all she could to come under the desired weight, be it skipping meals, or running, according to an IE report. She didn’t sleep the entire night, hoping to fall under the weight category. The Indian camp also asked the Olympic committee for more time but the efforts went in vain.
Vinesh Phogat competed in the 50kg category on Tuesday. She stunned World No. 1 Yui Susaki in the opening round before working her way through the quarter-final and the semi-final to become the first-ever Indian woman to reach the Olympic wrestling final.