Olympic Heartbreak: Disqualification Dashes Vinesh Phogat’s Gold Dream

Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik expressed concern for Vinesh Phogat after her disqualification from the women's 50kg final at the Paris Olympics. Despite attempts to bring her weight under the limit, Vinesh was disqualified, leading to immense disappointment. The Wrestling Federation of India has filed an appeal against the decision.

Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik expressed deep concern for fellow wrestler Vinesh Phogat following her disqualification from the women's 50kg final at the Paris Olympics. Vinesh, poised to potentially win India's first gold medal in this category, was set to wrestle U.S. athlete Sarah Ann Hildebrandt. However, exceeding the weight limit disqualified her.

Sakshi highlighted the efforts made to control Vinesh's weight, including attempts to extract blood, and shared her unease about the toll such measures took on Vinesh. "I'm not happy, and I keep thinking about her well-being," Sakshi stated on JioCinema. She elaborated on the immense challenge of cutting weight before matches, often harder than the matches themselves.

In response, Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha announced that the Wrestling Federation of India had filed an appeal with United World Wrestling to reconsider the disqualification. PT Usha emphasized the support being extended to Vinesh, combining medical and emotional aid, to keep the morale of the Indian contingent high. Despite the adversity, the day also saw wrestler Antim Panghal lose her round of 16 match, marking a disappointing day for India's wrestling team.