Paris: In a stunning twist of fate, Indian wrestling has been dealt a severe blow as Vinesh Phogat has been disqualified from the women’s 50kg wrestling event at the Paris Olympics.
The disqualification came after Phogat weighed in "a few grams over" the 50kg limit this morning, shattering hopes of a medal in what promised to be a historic Olympic journey.
The Indian Olympic Association released a statement expressing their profound regret over the situation.
"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 IOA said.
According to United World Wrestling (UWW) regulations, Phogat will be placed last in the event’s rankings. This decision marks a dramatic and disappointing end to what had been an extraordinary run for the Indian grappler.
Phogat had electrified the wrestling world with her performances leading up to this setback. Just a day prior, she made history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the final of an Olympic Games. Her path to the semifinals was nothing short of spectacular.
Phogat began her campaign with a monumental victory over Japan’s Yui Susaki, a four-time World Champion and Tokyo Olympics gold medallist who had remained undefeated in 95 international matches. Her journey continued with a thrilling 7-5 triumph over Ukraine’s Oksana Vasylivna Livach, propelling her into the semifinals and capturing the imagination of fans and critics alike.
This was Phogat’s third appearance at the Olympics. Her previous attempts saw her miss out on a medal in Rio 2016 due to injury and exit in the quarterfinals of the 53kg category in Tokyo after a loss to Vanesa Kaladzinskaya.
The unexpected disqualification has left fans and the wrestling community in shock, mourning what could have been a crowning achievement for Indian sports.