Vinesh Phogat was declared 'ineligible' ahead of the gold medal match due to being overweight. She can't compete for gold on Wednesday night. Despite reaching the finals, the Indian wrestler has to return from Paris without a medal. The news was sealed by the Indian Olympic Organisation in a statement on Wednesday morning. Despite the best efforts of the entire team, Phogat was declared 'cancelled' on Wednesday morning as he weighed less than 50 kg, the IOA said in a statement. The IOA has also requested to protect Vinesh's privacy during this difficult time.
Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat won a silver medal at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday. She was the first female wrestler in the country to reach the semis. On Tuesday, Vinesh defeated Cuba's Guzman to reach the final. His eyes were filled with the dream of a gold medal. The countrymen were also waiting for it.
Wrestler Vinesh Phogat was supposed to aim for the gold medal on Wednesday night, Indian time. Before that, came the shock. According to the rules of the games, Vinesh's American rival Sarah Hildebrandt would win the gold uncontested in the final. The bronze medal-winning match will follow the rules. But no one will get a silver medal in the 50 kg wrestling category. According to various reports, some more time was sought by the Indian team to bring down Vinesh's weight, but the officials did not heed the request.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed Vinesh Phogat's exclusion from the Paris Olympics final with Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha. He also wants to know what options are open in front of him.
According to sources, IOA (Indian Olympic Association) president PT asked Usha to submit a protest letter at the government level over Vinesh's exclusion. The Prime Minister also said that if the wrestler gets any benefit in the next case, he will also think about it.
