"Not One To Give Up": Rahul Gandhi On Vinesh Phogat’s Disqualification From Olympics
After Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification from Paris Olympics 2024 was announced, senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha’s Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi expressed his
“It is unfortunate that Vinesh Phogat, India’s pride, who reached the finals after defeating world champion wrestlers, was disqualified on technical grounds,” Gandhi said in an X post.
Read Also: “Setback Hurts”: PM Modi On Vinesh Phogat’s Disqualification From Olympics
Expressing hope for the Indian Olympic Association to challenge the decision and provide “justice to the daughter of the country,” the Congress leader affirmed his faith in the seasoned wrester. “Vinesh is not one to give up, we are confident that she will come back stronger in the arena. You have always made the country proud Vinesh. Even today the whole country stands with you as your strength.”
विश्वविजेता पहलवानों को हरा कर फाइनल में पहुंची भारत की शान विनेश फोगाट का तकनीकी आधार पर अयोग्य घोषित किया जाना दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण है।
हमें पूरी उम्मीद है कि भारतीय ओलंपिक संघ इस निर्णय को मजबूती से चैलेंज कर देश की बेटी को न्याय दिलाएगा।
विनेश हिम्मत हारने वालों में से नहीं हैं,…
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 7, 2024
Phogat’s disqualification was announced earlier today after the wrestler was found 100 grams over the required weight today morning. As per the United World Wrestling rules, if an athlete does not attend or fails the weigh-in, they will be eliminated from the competition and ranked last without a ranking. Phogat is the first athlete to be disqualified from her final for not making weight.
According to the rules, the seasoned wrestler will not be eligible even for a silver medal. The 50kg category will have only gold and bronze medal winners.
Read Also: Vinesh Phogat Disqualified For Being Overweight: 10 Points
Earlier, Gandhi had praised Phogat’s resilience and determination, noting that her triumph serves as a powerful response to those who doubted her struggle and questioned her abilities. He emphasized that “all those who denied the struggle of Vinesh and her teammates, and even questioned their intentions and abilities, have got their answer.” He also highlighted that true champions like Phogat answer their critics not with words, but with their performance on the field.
The 2022 World Championships bronze medallist became the first-ever Indian woman wrestler to make it to an Olympics final on Tuesday. She created history by defeating Japanese wrestler Yui Susaki who had never lost a match in her international career and is also a four-time world Olympic chamption. She then defeated Ukraine’s Oksana Livach, securing a place in the semi-finals where she beat Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez.
