From Historic Triumph to Unexpected Disqualification: Vinesh Phogat's Rollercoaster Journey at Paris Olympics 2024

From Historic Triumph to Unexpected Disqualification: In a dramatic turn of events, Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the women’s freestyle 50kg wrestling competition at the Paris Olympics 2024 due to being overweight, just hours before her gold medal bout. According to United World Wrestling (UWW) regulations, any wrestler who fails the weigh-in is immediately disqualified and placed in the last position. Phogat's disqualification came as a significant setback after her historic achievement of becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the gold medal match.

Background of Protests Against Brijbhushan Singh

Vinesh Phogat was a prominent figure in the protests against  Brijbhushan Singh, who faced multiple allegations of sexual harassment from women wrestlers. In January of the previous year, Phogat, along with other wrestlers like Sakshi Malik, Anshu Malik, and Bajrang Punia, staged a protest at Jantar Mantar demanding action against Singh. The BJP eventually removed Singh from his position as wrestling federation chief and did not field him in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, opting instead for his son, Karan Bhushan Singh.

Demands and Response from the Indian Olympic Association

The wrestlers had sought Singh's removal from his ministerial position in the Narendra Modi government and the dissolution of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). They also submitted a complaint to Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha, requesting the formation of an inquiry committee and a new management committee for the WFI. In response, the IOA formed a committee led by MC Mary Kom and Yogeshwar Dutt to investigate the allegations. The protest was briefly suspended after a meeting with then-sports minister Anurag Thakur, who promised that Singh would step aside during the investigation.

Further Protests and Allegations

The Wrestling Federation of India denied all sexual harassment allegations involving its president and coaches. The sports ministry, however, ordered WFI activities to halt and suspended WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar. An oversight committee led by Mary Kom was formed to investigate, but wrestlers were dissatisfied with the lack of consultation on committee members, leading to renewed protests.

Incident at Jantar Mantar

On May 3, wrestler Bajrang Punia claimed that he and other wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Sangeeta Phogat, Dushyant Phogat, and Rahul Yadav, were assaulted by Delhi Police personnel at Jantar Mantar. Allegations included a drunk policeman misbehaving with female wrestlers, resulting in injuries to Phogat and Yadav. Also read:  Vinesh Phogat Disqualified from Paris Olympics 2024 Due to Weight Issues

The wrestlers demanded medical examinations, but the police removed the officer involved. Despite these claims, the Delhi Police issued a press release denying the use of force and later sealed off the protest site with heavy barricades. The police also reportedly manhandled a female journalist covering the protests.