Yui Susaki of Japan in action with Vinesh Phogat of India at Paris Games 2024.
Credit: Reuters Photo
A day after entire India celebrated wrestler Vinesh Phoghat's victory over Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, the former was on Wednesday disqualified for the women's freestyle wrestling bout after the referee cited she is overweight by 100 grams. The shocking unexpected development comes meagre months after the Indian strongwoman accused the WFI of trying to stop her from competing in the now under way Olympics at Paris.
It was in April this year when Phogat had voiced her concerns over what she had alleged were created logical hurdles by the Wrestling Federation of India for her support staff. WFI refused to accept the allegations and claimed that Phogat had applied after the deadline to send entries expired.
Phogat was one of the three top wrestlers of the country who led a protracted protest against former WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accusing him of sexually harassing women wrestlers.
"Will we face politics even before we go to play for the country because we raised our voice against sexual harassment? Is this the punishment for raising voice against wrong in our country? "I hope we will get justice before we go to play for the country," Phogat had said.
Meanwhile, the WFI had further claimed that Phogat's request mail (for accreditation of her coach and physio) came on March 18, but by then it had already sent the entries of the players, coaches and medical staff to the world governing body UWW as the as the registration deadline was March 11.
Phogat had expressed her concerns in a long post on X which read: "Brij Bhushan and his deputy Sanjay Singh are trying in every way to stop me from playing in the Olympics. All the coaches who have been appointed with the team are the favourites of Brij Bhushan and his team, so it cannot be denied that they may mix something in my water and make me drink it during my match? If I say that there could be a conspiracy to trap me in doping, then it will not be wrong. No stone is being left unturned to mentally harass us. How far is it justified to torture us like this before such an important competition?" she had asked.
A person from the federation had conveyed to PTI that WFI has no problem is Phogat wishes to travel with her personal coach and physio, but she herself has to get the accreditation from the UWW.
"Her e-mail was primarily directed to the ad-hoc panel and the TOPS CEO even as the federation was also marked in it. She sent her request on March 18 but the federation had already registered the support the support staff by then. And, we did not get any directive from the Ministry or SAI that Phogat's coach has to be added to the list. We could have tried, if we had any such instruction. After all, the mail was primarily given to them," the official had said.
It must be noted here that in July this year, a Delhi court granted interim bail to Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and another person in the sexual harassment case filed by women wrestlers.