Disqualification of Vinesh Phogat
By Justice Markandey Katju
The woman wrestler Vinesh Phogat who reached the finals in the below 50 kg wrestling competition in the 2024 Paris Olympics has been disqualified for being 100 gm overweight.
Disqualification in the Olympics is nothing unknown. The most well-known perhaps was the disqualification of the Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson who came first in the 100 metres race in the 1988 Seoul Olympics breaking the world record, but was later disqualified when his urine test showed he had taken a prohibited drug.
One can feel sorry for Vinesh. But one cannot understand the childish, puerile and immature reaction of many top politicians, well-known media persons, and others who want an investigation, suspecting a 'conspiracy' or 'sabotage', in other words, some kind of cheating. The matter was even raised in Parliament.
One can feel sorry for Vinesh. But one cannot understand the childish, puerile and immature reaction of many top politicians, well-known media persons, and others who want an investigation, suspecting a 'conspiracy' or 'sabotage', in other words, some kind of cheating. The matter was even raised in Parliament.
Many people have asked how could Vinesh be found overweight just before the finals, when she was within the weight limit at the time of the semi-finals and quarter-finals?
The answer is simple. She must have eaten some favourite dishes after the semi-finals, thinking that she could get rid of the extra weight by the time of the finals ( by exercise, fasting, etc ).
If she was, say, 50 grams below 50 kg at the time of the semi-finals, and having won the bout, decided to celebrate by eating her choicest dishes, her weight may have crossed to well over 50 kg. Thereafter as the day of the finals approached she desperately tried to reduce weight, but failed. Losing weight too fast can make one weak, and thus adversely effect one's strength or skill in the bout. So it has to be done slowly, but there was not enough time as the date and hour of the bout had arrived. A request to delay the bout was rightly refused by the officials, who are very strict about the timings.
Politicians like PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi, Amit Shah, KC Venugopal, Akhilesh Yadav, Sanjay Singh, Shashi Tharoor etc are demanding an inquiry ( thus hinting at a 'conspiracy' ), as politicians must have a live 'mudda' ( issue ) to keep in business, and show their 'nationalism' by supporting a 'Bharat ki Beti' who had been greatly wronged.
Media persons must have a sensational issue as a 'mirch masala' to keep their viewership/readership/TRP.
Nobody is interested in the truth, and nobody is willing to blame Vinesh for not having the self-discipline and self-control in ensuring that she was within the weight limit at the time of the finals. Since she had become an Indian icon, others, not she, must be to blame.
As for my own opinion, I regard the Olympic officials to be totally honest and professionals, who will not do anything underhand. Hence it is Vinesh herself to blame for what happened
It is time Indians grow up and stop shouting 'wolf' whenever anything they did not expect occurs.
(Justice Katju is a retired judge of the Supreme Court. These are his personal views.)
