Vinesh Phogat’s Paris 2024 Disqualification: Weight Issue or Conspiracy?

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Vinesh Phogat disqualified from Paris Olympics due to being overweight.
Vinesh Phogat disqualified from Paris Olympics

In a shocking development at the Paris Olympics 2024, wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who made history on Tuesday by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final, was disqualified after being found overweight. She weighed 100-150 grams more than the permissible limit and was thus disqualified. However, amidst her disqualification, social media is buzzing with several speculations and theories. People are believing that there might be more to the story than just the official reason given. Many X users are calling this disqualification as a part of conspiracy against Vinesh. The reason for this belief is linked to her participation in the protest against WFI Chief and BJP member Brij Bhushan Singh at Jantar Mantar, where she accused him of sexual exploitation.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) handle wrote, “Vinesh Phogat is a brave daughter of India. Vinesh defeated the 4-time world champion. Now when she reached the final, her weight was declared 100 grams more. India’s daughter was going to create history by winning the gold medal in the final and some people did not like this and a conspiracy was hatched against her. The Indian government should immediately intervene and say that if you insult the daughter of India, we will boycott the Olympics. This is a grave injustice to the country and the country’s daughter Vinesh Phogat.” (Archived link)

Communist Ashok Kumar Pandey wrote, “Is this some conspiracy? Weighing was not done before the match? Stopping from competing after reaching the finals? The Indian government should intervene immediately so that no injustice happens to Vinesh.” (Archived link)

AAP advisor Reena Gupta stated, “Vinesh Phogat had already expressed the fear of a conspiracy even before going to play in the Olympics. Vinesh had said that the entire team with me has been selected by Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and he might mix something up which can create some problems We should not give up. We should protest against this before the International Olympic Association.” (Archived link)

President of Indian Youth Congress, Srinivas BV wrote, “The daughter of India who did not lose in the ring against big wrestlers was defeated overnight by conspiracies. Is the Indian Olympic Association so helpless? What was Vinesh’s support staff doing?” (Archived link)

Congress worker Pappu Yadav wrote, “Vinesh Phogat again became a victim of injustice Indian Olympic Association, Government of India What is IOC member Nita Ambani doing Was the conspiracy hatched from within the country itself? The rulers are ashamed of Vinesh’s success Did you not plot a conspiracy? If so, then these The elements will have to face even greater embarrassment! Salute Vinesh.” (Archived link)

Wrestler Bajrang Punia wrote, “Vinesh, you have not lost, you have been defeated.” (Archived link)

Fake news peddler Bittu Sharma, “Can Vinesh Phogat getting disqualified be someone’s conspiracy?” (Archived link)

Rakesh Tikait, who led the farmer protest, also claimed that this is the conspiracy against Vinesh. He said, “Vinesh was given a diet as part of a conspiracy. The team that went from here has conspired. This has not happened without a conspiracy. Who are the connections of the team sent for Vinesh, there should be an investigation.” (Archived link)

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Is disqualifying Vinesh Phogat from Paris Olympics part of a conspiracy?

Journalist Digvijay Singh Deo, who was selected to carry the Olympic torch during the 2008 Olympics, put out a tweet, dismissing the speculation and conspiracy surrounding Phogat’s disqualification. He wrote on X that a team of Gagan Narang, Dinshaw Pardiwala, Vinesh’s husband, physios, medical staff and officials from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) along with Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) worked tirelessly the night before to help Vinesh. A significant effort was made to manage her weight so that she could compete today. He further mentioned that Vinesh Phogat experienced severe physical pain and discomfort while trying to meet the weight requirement. Dr. Pardiwala had also raised concerns about her health and said it can’t be endangered.

Wrestler from Budana and Arjuna Award winner Pooja Dhanda, who won a bronze medal at the 2018 World Championships in Budapest and silver medals at the 2010 Summer Olympics and the 2018 Commonwealth Games, spoke to Aaj Tak and called the conspiracy rumours false. She said that athletes have gone through this process many times before. When we have bouts on both days, we have to check get our weight measured on both days. This rule applies to athletes all over the world. Everything is done on camera.

Dhanda further explained that on the first day when the bout takes place, the players need recovery. For recovery, the athletes consume carbohydrates and their water intake also increases, which generally increases their weight. However, the next day when they go for the medal bout, they have to show the exact weight again in the morning. Only after this they can fight the bout. If the weight requirement is not met, the player is disqualified. The weight is measured only in the morning, 2 hours before the bout, and after that they are allowed to recover.

She also mentioned that there is a limited time from 8:00 am to 8:30 am, during which the athletes have to go for the weight measurement. Before this time frame, the athletes have to ensure that they meet the weight requirement. Even if the athlete’s weight is even one gram more than the specified weight limit, they are disqualified.

Reacting to this shocking development, Indian Olympic Association chief PT Usha said that Phogat’s disqualification is shocking. She is being provided all medical and emotional support. She also said that I am aware of the tireless efforts made by her medical team overnight so that she can meet the competition requirement. Along with PT Usha, Indian Olympic team doctor Dinshaw Pardiwala also released a statement. He revealed that the team had to take a drastic step and cut Phogat’s hair on Tuesday, so that she could lose weight.

He said that sometimes there is also a factor of rebound weight gain following competition. Vinesh had three bouts, and to prevent dehydration, some amount of water had to be given. It was found that her post-participation weight had increased more than normal, so the process of weight cutting was initiated. However, in the morning, despite all of our efforts, her weight was 100 grams over the 50-kilogram weight category, and she was disqualified. Every possible drastic measure was taken, such as cutting her hair and shortening her clothes.

News nine

In another video, Dr Pardiwala said that at the end of the semi-final in the evening, Phogat’s post-participation weight was found to be 2.7 kg more than the approved weight. The team and the coach started their usual process, which is of course water restriction, no food. And you started with the whole process of sweating it out. Usually, you need some time for that. But unfortunately, we didn’t have too much time. We had just 12 hours. So the whole night, the whole team tried their best to make her lose weight, put her in steam and sauna, made her exercise and did whatever was medically possible. We tried our best to make her lose weight. When she couldn’t sweat it out any more, we even had to take some drastic measures like cutting her hair. If we had maybe a few more hours we could have lost 100 grams, but we didn’t have that much time.

Apart from this, on August 6, wrestler Bajrang Punia, while speaking to BBC, mentioned, “I talked to Vinesh and advised her to focus on losing weight, as she finds it difficult to maintain her weight at 50 kg. There is a difference between men and women when it comes to losing weight. Men tend to lose weight more easily compared to women, who often find it more challenging.”

BBC

Vinesh’s stubborn efforts to secure her place in Paris Olympics

According to the Olympics website, Antim Panghal secured the quota in the final trials for the 53kg category by winning a bronze medal at the World Wrestling Championships in September, 2023.

Vinesh Phogat demanded that the final trials for the 53 kg category be held just before the Paris Olympics to ensure her eligibility for the 53 kg category trials if she did not succeed in the 50 kg category trials. She also demanded that she wanted to compete in both categories. However, usually after losing in one weight category in the trials, a wrestler competes in the other weight category. But here, Phogat wanted a written assurance beforehand that she would compete in both categories.

Vinesh was very adamant to compete in the Olympics. Despite losing the 53 kg quota to Antim Panghal, she sought to keep all potential avenues open for the Paris Olympics. Although Vinesh primarily competes in the 53 kg category, she took the risk of competing in the 50 kg weight class as well to maximize her chances of qualifying.

Phogat stubbornly competed in both the 53 kg and 50 kg categories. She lost 0-10 to Anju in the 53 kg category but defeated Shivani 11-6 in the 50 kg category, securing her place in the 50 kg category for the Olympic Qualification Tournament in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

According to Deccan Herald report, Phogat told PTI in April, ‘I will have to manage my weight a lot better. I have brought myself down to 50 kg after a very long time, so I will try to maintain this as much as I can.’ She also said that her high muscle mass makes it difficult for her to manage her weight, and she easily gains weight regardless of how fit she is.’

Vinesh has faced setbacks before

Struggling with weight management is nothing new for Phogat. Earlier, in 2016, she was disqualified from the Rio Olympics for the same reason. Vinesh was 400 grams overweight and was above the prescribed weight limit for the 48 kg category.

Vinesh Phogat disqualified in 2016 Rio Olympics due to being overweight.
Indian Express

According to Sportstar report, during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Phogat was competing in the 53 kg category, and even then, it was hard for her to maintain weight. The weight loss resulted in poor recovery and frequent injuries.

These challenges show that weight management and weight loss have been the significant hurdles in Phogat’s wrestling career. Contrary to speculation by users on X, these issues did not arise overnight; she has faced setbacks related to her weight management in the past as well.

Could Vinesh have withdrawn and opted for the silver medal instead?

According to the United World Wrestling (UWW) rule book, once Vinesh Phogat was disqualified for not making weight, she was ineligible for a medal.

Article 56 of the UWW says, ‘If the injured athlete is ready to compete for his next match, he has to receive the approval of the UWW Doctor. For all the other type of injuries or diseases that happen after the first day of competition and out of competition, the concerned athlete will have to attend the second weigh in otherwise he will be eliminated of the competition and ranked last, without rank.’

This rule clearly states that if Vinesh Phogat was required to attend the second weigh-in, and she would have been disqualified again.

Importance of weight in wrestling and challenges faced

Wrestling places special emphasis on weight management, and wrestlers have to go through a rigorous weight cutting process in order to compete in a stipulated weight category.

The ESPN article dated July 13, 2021, gives an overview of the importance of weight in wrestling and the challenges associated with it.

For important competitive balance, wrestlers compete with opponents having similar body mass. For example, men’s categories begin at 57 kg and increase by 8–12 kg in each category, while women’s categories range from 48 kg to 76 kg.

If a wrestler wants to compete in a lower weight category, they have to cut down their weight. In this process, they have to lose 10% of body weight. Dr Munesh Kumar explained that for most wrestlers it’s safer to bring down the weight gradually through a combination of diet and training. Normally in a hard training session, wrestlers tend to lose about 1.5 and 2 kg. But then, if you carefully monitor your nutrition and fluid intake, you will regain about 1800gm. So, you can safely lose about 200-300gm each day.’

Wrestlers face extreme conditions in the final hours before the competition and weigh-in. During this time, the focus is on removing excess water from the body, which can lead to dehydration and physical stress. Wrestler Ravi Dahiya had shared, “You can’t even sleep and you can’t even talk to anyone. There’s food and water in front of you and you can’t touch it. It’s a different feeling. Only a wrestler can tell you how they get through that day.“

The article mentions the experience faced by wrestler Deepak Punia during the weight loss process in the Rome Ranking Series in 2020, when he had to lose 5 kg a day before his bout. Punia noted that all the water in the body was removed. I had a lot of muscle cramps due to the cut. It was a terrible way to lose weight.

The process of recovering from dehydration is equally challenging. Vinesh Phogat reflected on the recovery process and said, “Throughout the day, I will slowly take enough water inside me. But at least for the first few bouts, it will be difficult. Sometimes the opponent looks blurry because your eyes are unable to focus.”

Once you make weight, a few hours before your bout, there’s the problem of recovery- bringing the body’s water levels back up to normal. Think of the body like a water soaked sponge. It’s easy to squeeze out a wet sponge, but when water goes back in, it goes at the sponge’s rate. You can’t force water into it. “If you are dehydrated, you can’t suddenly take in a lot of water,” says Dr Kumar. “This wasn’t such a problem in the past when your weigh-in happened one day before your bouts. You could recover overnight. Now the weigh-in happens on the day of the competition. If you drink too much too fast, the body won’t accept it. You will vomit it out.”

The article further notes that Vinesh Phogat, realizing the toll the weight category was taking on her mental and physical health and impacting her performance, made an important decision. She moved from the 48 kg category to the 50 kg category and eventually to the 53 kg category. She asserted that shifting to the 53 kg category was the biggest relief for her, as she could finally eat a little more normally. This significant adjustment helped maintain her overall physical and mental health and also improved her performance by avoiding the rigorous weight-cutting process.

Weight loss in wrestling is not just about fitting into a set category. The rigorous process of cutting weight affects the overall health and performance of wrestlers. In some cases, wrestlers face even more severe issues like kidney problems, as stated by Dr Kumar. For instance, wrestler Vikas Krishan Yadav, winner of a gold medal in the 2010 Asian Games and a gold medal in the 75 kg weight category at the Commonwealth Games, shared his experience of facing dangerous health risks due to weight cutting. He used to compete in the 60 kg division, but after a particularly brutal weight cut sent him to the hospital, he has refused to even attempt curtailing his weight since. He moved up to the 69 kg and subsequently the 75 kg division. He’s now competing in the 69 kg division once again, a process that he manages simply through heavier training.

Weight cut rules for wrestlers in Olympics

Each weight category is contested over two days. Any wrestler who reaches the final or repechage must appear for weigh-ins on both days.

The medical control and the first weigh-in will be carried out on the morning of the respective weight category. Athletes qualified for the final and repechage will be weighed again on the second morning of the respective weight category. Overweight tolerance will not be allowed for the second weigh-in.

2 kg weight tolerance is allowed for World Cup and for the International Tournaments (Except UWW Ranking Events).

For all competitions, weigh-ins are held each morning for the respective weight class. Weigh-ins and medical control last 30 minutes. On the second morning of the respective weight class, only wrestlers participating in the repechage and finals are required to weigh-in. This weigh-in will last 15 minutes.

If a wrestler has not undergone a medical examination on the first morning, he cannot be included in the weigh-in.

Other players disqualified in Olympics due to being overweight

Not only Vinesh, but there were other players too who got disqualified from the Olympics Games due to being overweight.

  1. Italian wrestler Emanuela Liuzzi was disqualified from the Olympics for exceeding the weight limit. She was scheduled to compete in the 50 kg women’s wrestling category, however, she was disqualified from the tournament as she failed to clear the weight test as she was over the 50 kg limit.
  2. On 28th July 2024 Messaoud Redouane Dris from Algeria was disqualified during the official weight control due to being overweight by 400 grams.
  3. The USA’s J’den Cox failed to make it to the 97 kg category in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. He was declared overweight.
  4. Indian wrestler Pappu Yadav was disqualified from competing in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics after failing to clear the weigh-in

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