Hema Malini and other artists voiced their disappointment over Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification

Vinesh Phogat, regarded as one of India’s premier wrestlers, comes from a prominent wrestling family. A two-time Olympian, she has won three Commonwealth Games gold medals, two World Championships bronze medals, and one Asian Games gold medal. She became the Asian champion in 2021. Notably, Vinesh was the first Indian woman wrestler to achieve gold at both the Commonwealth and Asian Games and is the only Indian woman wrestler to have earned multiple medals at the World Wrestling Championships.

Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification

Vinesh Phogat reached the women’s 50kg freestyle final at the 2024 Paris Olympics, making history as the first Indian female wrestler to compete in a gold medal match at the Summer Games. However, she was disqualified on the second day of the competition for being 100 grams overweight in the 50kg category. Her earlier win over Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez in the freestyle semi-finals had already secured India at least a silver medal.

Reactions from celebrities

The news shocked the nation, leading to a surge of support for the distressed athlete.

Actor and politician Hema Malini addressed the situation, providing her reaction to PTI, “It is very surprising, and it feels strange that she was disqualified for being 100 gm overweight. Iss hum sabhi kalakaron aur mahilaon ko seekh acchi leni chahiye (It is important to keep the weight in check. It is a lesson for all of us, women and artists). 100 gm also matters a lot. I wish she would lose that 100 gm quickly but she would not get an opportunity.”

Taapsee Pannu also shared her distress on social media, stating, “This is heartbreaking but honestly, this woman has already made her mark beyond gold by now! @vineshphogal.” Additionally, Riteish Deshmukh shared his disappointment and praised her via a tweet, and many other artists also conveyed their grief over Phogat’s disqualification.

Reaction from Prime Minister

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also showed his support by posting a tweet “Vinesh, you are a champion among champions! You are India’s pride and an inspiration for each and every Indian. Today’s setback hurts. I wish words could express the sense of despair that I am experiencing. At the same time, I know that you epitomise resilience. It has always been your nature to take challenges head on. Come back stronger! We are all rooting for you.”

India Olympic association’s statement

On Wednesday, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) addressed Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification in a statement. Despite the team’s efforts throughout the night, Vinesh was found to be slightly over the 50kg limit on the morning of the competition. As a result, she will be placed last in the event.

“It is with regret that the Indian contingent shares news of the disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from the Women’s Wrestling 50 kg class. Despite the best efforts by the team through the night, she weighed in a few grams over 50 kg this morning. No further comments will be made by the contingent at this time. The Indian team requests you respect Vinesh’s privacy. It would like to focus on the competitions on hand,” the IOA statement read.