Vinesh Phogat, · Vinesh Phogat, was the first India woman to qualify for an Olympic wrestling final, but now she has to leave Paris regrettably, as she did not weigh enough to compete in the competition.
On August 6, local time, the India Olympic Association issued a statement saying: "Despite the team's best efforts throughout the night, she weighed a few grams this morning, more than 50 kilograms. ”
The rules of the tournament state that wrestlers must maintain their weight class for both days of the competition. After Fogart was disqualified, only gold and bronze medals will be awarded in the women's 50kg wrestling competition at the Paris Olympics.
After news broke that the 29-year-old was disqualified from the final, India Prime Minister Narendra · Modi posted on social media, calling Fogarte a "champion of champions" and "the pride of India".
"Today's setbacks are heart-wrenching. I hope the words express the despair I experienced. At the same time, I know you are a model of resilience. It's always been your nature to rise to the challenge," he wrote, adding: "Come back strong! We've got your back. ”
And according to sources, Prime Minister Modi also asked the president of the Bar Association of India to protest against Fogart's disqualification, and although he knew that a reversal was unlikely, he was prepared.
It is reported that Fogart was about 2 kilograms overweight on the night before the weigh-in, and she barely slept that night, from jogging to skipping rope to cycling, just to be able to reduce her weight to the specified range, but still weighed a few grams.
If it weren't for the weight of a few grams, Fogart would have had a good chance of fulfilling his dream of winning the championship in Paris. In fact, she has already pulled off the most shocking upset of the tournament to date, beating reigning Olympic gold medallist Yui Suzaki in a dramatic first-round match.
Prior to Paris, Fogart had competed in two Olympic Games, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021, but lost in the quarter-finals.
Fogart is on Modi's radar because she can indeed be called a legendary Indian woman off the field.
She had accused Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh· former president of the India Wrestling Federation·· Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of "mentally harassing and torturing him" after the Tokyo Olympics. There were many athletes who were similar to her, so under the leadership of Fogart, a group of athletes appeared on the streets of New Delhi to protest.
The Wrestling Federation then promised to investigate, but months passed and nothing happened. In response, Fogart and other wrestlers took to the streets again, sleeping on the streets for weeks to express their anger, and then clashing with the police.
After months of protest, Delhi police charged Singh with beating, stalking and harassment. Although Singh has denied all the charges against him, it is unprecedented for him to be charged as chairman and a political celebrity in India, where India wrestlers have long complained that the authorities have never taken their demands seriously.