Vinesh Phogat, the celebrated Indian wrestler, made headlines at the Paris Olympics by achieving a remarkable feat. She defeated Yui Susaki, the reigning Olympic champion from Japan with an impressive unbeaten record of 82-0, in the preliminary rounds of the 50 kg freestyle category. On her way to the finals, Vinesh defeated wrestlers from Ukraine and Cuba in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.
With just a match separating her and an unprecedented Olympic gold or silver medal for India, the excitement among the Indian fans was palpable. Only one Indian female wrestler, Sakshi Malik has won a bronze medal in the Olympics so far.
However, just before the gold medal match, a shocking and controversial turn of events resulted in the disqualification of Vinesh Poghat for being overweight by approximately 100 grams. This unexpected and shocking disqualification has ignited extensive technical debates and even fueled conspiracy theories.
Rules for disqualification on the mat
Freestyle and greco-roman categories are included In Olympic wrestling, while the matches are regulated by a strict set of rules. A wrestler can be disqualified for several reasons, including illegal moves, misconduct, or breach of sportsmanship.
The referees are entrusted with the duty of enforcing the rules and have the authority to penalize the wrestlers for violations. Severe and repeated violations warrant disqualification which includes repeated illegal actions or behavior deemed detrimental to the integrity of the sport.
Disqualification for breaching weight limit
Vinesh Phogat, competed in the women’s 50 kg freestyle wrestling event, as against her usual 53 kg category. The expectation of a gold medal was very high, as she had defeated the strongest and favorite contestants en route to the final.
But, much to the dismay she was disqualified since she was found to be overweight on the day of the match.
According to Chapter 3, Article 11 of the wrestling rules: “For all competitions, the weigh-in is organized each morning of the concerned weight-category. The weigh-in and the medical check-in lasts 30 minutes”.
Overweight by 100 grams
Reports emerged about Vinesh weighing 100-160 grams over the permissible 50 kg limit, leading to her disqualification. Later the Indian contingent confirmed that she was overweight by 100 gms during the weigh-in. Subsequently, she was pushed to the last position in the competition and lost the opportunity to win a historic medal for the country.
Several reports stated that Vinesh had to go through strenuous workouts since she was found to have gained 2 kgs the day before the final. She managed to reduce around 1.8 kgs overnight, but the misery over the sudden weight gain remains a misery.
Several sports commentators highlighted the strict procedures followed during international games, including the role of coaches and nutritionists. The chief medical officer of the Indian contingent explained the reasons for the weight gain after the controversy erupted.
Precedences for overweight disqualifications
Vinesh herself is a victim of overweight disqualification during the Asian qualifiers before the Rio Olympics 2016.
In the Paris Olympics, Italy’s Emanuela Liuzzi had to forfeit from the preliminary bout after being found to have been overweight in the 50 kg freestyle wrestling event.
Athletes from other sports including Judo have to go through the weigh-in process ahead of the matches. Algeria’s Messaoud Redouane was disqualified before the bout against Israel’s Tohur Butbul at the Paris Olympics for excess weight of 400 gms.
