PARIS: Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat has been disqualified just hours before the women’s 50kg freestyle final at the Paris Olympics following failing to make weight, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) stated.
Phogat was one of several Indian players who came out in protest last year seeking criminal action against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, then head of the Wrestling Federation of India and a part of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.
Phogat will not receive a medal of any colour after her disqualification. In a statement, IOA said that it is with regret that it shares news of the disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from the women’s wrestling 50kg class. The statement added that despite the best efforts by the team through the night, Phogat weighed in a few grams over 50kg today.
Last year, protests erupted in India after Vinesh Phogat, accused the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and other coaches of sexually abusing female wrestlers for years. Vinesh Phogat had said that Brij Bhushan Singh sexually exploited around 10 female wrestlers.
After Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification, many social media users in India termed it a conspiracy of Modi’s government as she raised voiced against the exploration. Following these controversies, her disqualification raises questions and many Indians termed it as Indian government’s conspiracy to disqualify her.
