Much water has flown down the Ganges since India’s top wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified for being overweight by just 100 grams. That was heart-breaking enough; the rejection of her appeal against disqualification was the final straw.
What’s very disheartening is the reaction of officials, particularly women in power who, as if to rub salt to the wound, made unpleasant remarks against their own countrywoman.
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To the uninitiated, Phogat was disqualified from competing for the gold medal at the Paris Olympics for being overweight by 100 grams during the standard morning weigh-in.
Shattered by this sudden outcome, Phogat filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), seeking a joint silver medal alongside Yusneylis Lopez of Cuba, who, having lost to Vinesh, was elevated to the final. The appeal has been dismissed by CAS, media reports said on 14 August.
Much has been said and while most people commiserated with the wrestler, some seemed to take sadistic delight in her loss.
Here’s a sample.
Hema Malini, a Member of Parliament (MP): “It is very surprising, and it feels strange that she was disqualified for being 100 gm overweight. It is important to keep the weight in check. It is a lesson for all of us. I wish she could lose that 100 gm quickly, but she won’t get it now,” she told PTI. The actress also appeared to smile at the camera before walking away.
Not surprisingly, Hema Malini was slammed on social media for her “disgraceful” remarks.
Another female MP, Kangana Ranaut, said on Instagram:
“Fingers crossed for India’s first Gold Medal… Vinesh Phogat at one point took part in protests where she raised the slogans of ‘Modi teri Kabr khudegi.’ Yet she was given the opportunity to represent the nation and receive the best training, coaches, and facilities. This is the beauty of democracy and the mark of a great leader.”
Needless to say, Ranaut too received brickbats on social media for her inappropriate comments for seemingly trying to politicise the issue and diminish Phogat’s individual efforts and achievements.
The latest reaction came from none other than P T Usha, the president of the Indian Olympics Association (IOA) who pointed a finger at Phogat and her coach.
“…the responsibility of weight management of athletes in sport like wrestling, weightlifting, boxing and judo is that of each athlete and his or her coach and NOT that of the IOA-appointed Chief Medical Officer Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala and his team,” Usha said in a statement. “The hate directed at the IOA medical team, especially Dr Pardiwala, is unacceptable and worthy of condemnation.”
While only a thorough enquiry can determine the cause of Phogat’s weight gain, Usha’s statement clearly alludes to collective responsibility – the athlete and the coach – for what happened.
Contrast this with Prakash Padukone’s outburst after Lakshya Sen lost in the bronze medal match. “They (the Federations and government) have done whatever they can. Ultimately, the responsibility is on the players to go and deliver when it matters the most,” he told media persons.
So, here are two of the country’s top sportspersons holding important positions with different views on where the onus lies when an athlete loses.
Clearly, a lack of uniformity in thinking among officials when it comes to significant matters relating to sports and sportspersons.
It has been an agonizing few days since Phogat was disqualified and one can imagine what this feisty wrestler is going through. Despite her injuries, the harassment and ordeal she underwent in the run-up to the Olympics, she rose phoenix-like to wrestle her way to the semi-finals in Paris, the first Indian woman wrestler to achieve such a feat.
What she needed was empathy, words of comfort, encouragement and support. Instead, you have the likes of Hema Malini, Kangana Ranaut and P T Usha making indecorous remarks that can have an adverse impact on the morale of not only Phogat but other sports persons too. If women in power behave in such a manner towards one of their own, what hope can athletes such as Phogat harbour?
Is this empowerment of ‘Nari Shakti’ that is bandied about so frequently by our politicians? Did these women compliment her when she reached the semi-finals? And, ironically, many who remained silent during the days of protests by wrestlers and the humiliation they suffered, were quick to post syrupy messages of sympathy and shed crocodile tears when she was disqualified!
Any wonder why Phogat was compelled to take the ultimate step of retiring from the sport? “Wrestling has won Mother, I have lost, my dreams and spirit are broken, please forgive me,” she wrote.
What a tragic end to the glorious career of a 29-year-old!
Will the likes of Usha, the female MPs, the wrestling federation and the sports ministry make a concerted effort to ensure that Phogat does not retire? Will the sports federations and the government recognize her near-gold-medal winning performance at Paris and honour her fittingly?
