Unfortunate, it was a golden opportunity: Karnam Malleswari on Vinesh's disqualification
Aug 07, 2024
Paris [France], August 8 : Following Vinesh Phogat's disqualification in the 50 kg category final at the Paris Olympics, India's first woman to win an Olympic medal Karnam Malleswari said on Wednesday that it was unfortunate since it was a golden opportunity for the Indian wrestler.
Phogat, who was set to compete against the United States' Sarah Ann Hildebrandt for the gold medal, was disqualified on Wednesday for breaching the weight limit.
Earlier, Dinshaw Pardiwala, Chief Medical Officer of the Indian Olympic contingent, revealed that Phogat exceeded the weight limit by 2.7 kg after her semi-final bout. He added that efforts were made to reduce her weight by restricting her food and water intake.
Speaking to ANI, Malleswari said that this is the first time she heard an athlete got disqualified because of her body weight.
"I am sad to listen to this...I heard about such an incident for the first time in my career that a player gets disqualified because of her body weight...I don't know how this mistake happened, but it's unfortunate as it was a golden opportunity for Vinesh...If this had not happened we could have won gold or silver...It's a huge loss for Vinesh and the country...," Malleswari said.
Phogat had advanced to the gold medal bout by defeating Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez 5-0 in the semi-finals on Tuesday night.
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha expressed her shock and disappointment over Phogat's disqualification. She confirmed that while Phogat is physically and medically fine, she is disappointed. Usha noted that the support staff is actively working to help Phogat manage her weight.
"After hearing the news that Vinesh Phogat is disqualified, I am shocked and disappointed. I had come here to meet Vinesh; she is physically and medically okay. Mentally, she is disappointed. Our support staff is with her, trying their best to help her reduce weight," PT Usha said.
India has won three bronze medals at the Paris Olympics so far, all in shooting. The country narrowly missed additional medals, finishing fourth in events including the 10m air rifle, 25m pistol, skeet team, badminton singles, and mixed archery team events.
