When India was preparing for the first-ever Olympic wrestling gold, a shocking turn in events occurred. Being 100 grams overweight ended Vinesh Phogat's journey to the Paris Olympics final with a disqualification. While the disbelief was slowly wearing off, many fingers were already being pointed in different directions to propagate the blame for the heartbreak loss. (Medal Table | Schedule & Results | Full Coverage)
Soon after Phogat's exit from the final medal race, the internet erupted in shock, disbelief, and anger. While the whole country came out in her support, this incident kick-started a debate related to who was to blame for this blunder.
Who Is Responsible For Vinesh Phogat’s Disqualification? - Reactions
Let's have a look, who said what
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Sanjay Singh squarely blamed the coaches and supporting staff for the heart-breaking disqualification of Phogat from the Paris Olympics.
Singh urged the central government to take strict action against those responsible for the weight management failure that led to Phogat not being able to compete in the gold medal match.
He clearly placed the blame for Phogat's disqualification on the coaches and support staff. He has stated that Vinesh is not at fault and that the responsibility lies with those tasked with her training and preparation.
Some X users have floated conspiracy theories suggesting the nutritionist was primarily responsible for Phogat's weight gain.
Many have labeled the incident a management disaster, highlighting the well-documented challenges of weight management in wrestling. It's increasingly clear that the disqualification is a result of a systemic failure rather than an isolated error.
Many people blame the coaches and support staff for not managing her weight properly. There are even calls for the entire team to resign.
Jordan Burroughs, gold medalist wrestler of the 2012 Olympics, came out and commented on the subject, calling for a silver medal for the Indian wrestler.
The debate is heated as it needs to be clarified who is at fault. Vinesh isn't the only team member facing weight-related issues.
Antim Panghal's Desperate Weight Cut
Antim Panghal's Olympic campaign came to a juddering halt for the time being when she lost 10-0 to Zeynep Yetgil of Turkey in the Round of 16 on Wednesday.
Reports suggest the Indian wrestler went on a punishing two-day starvation diet in order to make the 53kg weight category—a move which could raise serious questions regarding the pressure athletes come under to shed those excess grams.
It's time the Indian Wrestling Federation took cognizance of this shocking issue and framed measures so that in the future, such an extreme weight cut could be avoided.
While weight cutting is common among wrestlers, it is quite worrying that Panghal was going to such extreme lengths to make the 53kg category, her regular weight class — just twodays before her Olympic bout.
