Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the Paris Olympics 2024 just before her gold medal match in the women’s 50kg freestyle wrestling, an incident that is a real kick in the teeth for the Indians. Even cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar couldn’t help but voice his frustration, calling it a robbery of the silver medal that the Indian wrestler earned through hard-fought effort. (Full Coverage | Medal Table | Schedule & Results)
On his Twitter, Sachin Tendulkar, also known as the God of Cricket, referred to Phogat's disqualification from the Paris Olympics as the "Time for an Umpire's Call," and further elaborated that while rules are crucial, fairness and logic must also be considered and not overlooked.
Sachin Tendulkar said, "Every sport has rules and those rules need to be seen in context, maybe even revisited at times. Vinesh Phogat qualified fair and square for the finals. Her disqualification by weight was before the finals, and hence, for her to be robbed of a deserving silver medal defies logic and sporting sense."
Vinesh Phogat might had weighed 100 gms more than the limit ahead of final bout, but she had clinched the 5-0 win in the semi-final match against Yusneylys Guzman, within the eligibility critea.
“It would have been understandable if an athlete were to have been disqualified for ethical breaches such as the usage of performance enhancing drugs. In that case, to not be awarded any medal and be placed last would be justifiable.
However, Vinesh beat her opponents fairly to reach the top two. She definitely deserves a silver medal. While we all wait for a verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport, let us hope and pray that Vinesh gets the recognition she deserves,” Tendulkar added.
After saying goodbye to her illustrious wrestling career with one of the most brutal manner, Vinesh Phogat remains hopeful for a silver medal. She has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and her appeal has been accepted.
On August 9, Friday, the CAS issued an official release announcing that the hearing for the Indian wrestler will take place today at the Ad Hoc division in Paris. However, the verdict will take some time and is expected to be delivered before the conclusion of the Games 2024.
