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Vinesh Phogat’s Disqualification At Paris Olympics – Is It Leftist-Alleged ‘Modi Conspiracy’ Or Fact-Based?

August 9, 2024
The Commune

Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification from the Paris Olympics for being overweight in her weight category has sparked a wave of misinformation and conspiracy theories from the anti-Modi camp. The group is attempting to blame Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Wrestling Federation for Phogat’s disqualification, even though she was found 100 grams over the allowed weight limit for wrestlers in the 50 kg freestyle category during her gold medal bout weigh-in.

However, it’s essential to debunk the false narrative being peddled by left-leaning sympathisers. The disqualification was not a one-off incident. Several athletes have been disqualified from the Olympics for similar reasons. It’s crucial to focus on the facts rather than spreading misinformation and deflecting blame. Phogat’s disqualification resulted from her actions, not some grand conspiracy orchestrated by the government or the Wrestling Federation.

Vinesh’s Olympic Qualification Trials & Aftermath

Vinesh Phogat, competed in two Olympic weight categories qualification rounds, 50kg and 53kg, on the same day. Despite this unusual decision, she emerged victorious only in the lighter division, winning the selection trials for the Asian wrestling championships and Asian Olympic Games qualifier held at Patiala.

The ad-hoc committee and technical committee allowed her to compete in both weights, citing a lack of rule prohibiting wrestlers from competing in multiple weights during trials. However, this decision raised questions about the United World Wrestling’s Article-7, which states that each wrestler can only compete in one weight category at the official weigh-in. Vinesh fought her way to the top in the 50kg category, beating Nirmala Devi 10-0 in the semifinal and Shivanee Pawar 11-6 in the final. This gave her a chance to win a quota place in the lower weight category only.

In the 53kg category, Vinesh lost 10-0 to Anju in the semifinals but managed to secure a spot among the top-four contenders. This meant she was eligible to challenge Antim Panghal, the quota place winner in the 53kg category, for a spot in the Paris Olympic trials.

According to Bajrang Punia, Vinesh knew she was 2 kg overweight even before the competition, and her team had been working on reducing her weight since the night before. Despite trying every possible method, including severe dehydration, sweat sessions, and even cutting off her hair, Vinesh couldn’t shed more than 1.8 kg and was still 2.7 kg overweight.

Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala, the Chief Medical Officer of the Indian Contingent, explained that Vinesh’s weight was monitored throughout the night, and despite efforts to reduce it, she was still over the allowed weight by 100 grams. He highlighted that Vinesh had tried every possible means to lose weight, but unfortunately, she didn’t have enough time.  Dinshaw Pardiwala said, “Her post-participation weight at the end of the semi-finals in the evening was found to be 2.7 kg more than the allowed weight. The team and the coach started off their usual process, which is of course limitation of water, no food. And you started with the whole process of sweating it out. Typically, you require some amount of time for that. But unfortunately, we didn’t have too much time. We had just 12 hours. So the whole night, the entire team, went ahead with this whole process of trying to reduce her weight, putting her in a steam and sauna, making her exercise and whatever was medically possible. We tried our best to try and get that weight down. When she couldn’t sweat anymore, we even had to go to some drastic measures like cutting off her hair…If we maybe had a few hours more we could have achieved those 100 grams, but we just didn’t have that time.”

This is not the first time Vinesh has been disqualified for being overweight. She was also disqualified in the 2016 Rio Olympics for being 400 grams overweight. This has raised concerns about the repeated instances of Vinesh being overweight and the consequences it has on her performance.

The situation has also sparked controversy, with some questioning whether Vinesh’s disqualification was a result of politics or not. Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat herself acknowledged that she was overweight, and this has led to criticism about the lack of accountability and responsibility.

But Here’s What Leftists Peddled

One of them said, “Morning weight 49.1 Breakfast lunch served. In 12 hrs weight increased to 53kg. How it is possible. Shameless pawpaw Modi govt conspiracy.” 

Another user who seemed like a Dravidianist supporter shared a controversial cartoon, showing Prime Minister Narendra Modi allegedly backstabbing the wrestler Vinesh Phogat, with a sword, and captioned it “Royal Treason”. This image was made akin to the Bahubali backstabbed by Kattappa scene.

Another cartoon by controversial cartoonist Manjul depicts a weighing machine with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s face beaming with a smile, while Vinesh Phogat stands on the scale, adding to the conspiracy theory that the PM was behind the wrestler’s disqualification.

Another cartoon, published in the Times of India, showed a caption that read, “If only you had agreed to sacrifice even 100 grams of your spine.” – suggesting that Vinesh Phogat should not be participating in the protest against the BJP leader.

Another user (from a now missing account) stated that, “Dinshaw Pardiwala is the nutritionist of Vinesh Phogat and he was the one responsible for her weight and nutrition. He works at the Kokilaben Ambani Hospital. The hospital is owned by “Ambani” No Conspiracy right?”

This also hints at a “conspiracy” since Nita Ambani is a member of the IOC.

Sweden-based alleged professor Ashok Swain, whose account is withheld in India claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi allegedly manipulated the weighing machine to ensure Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification. The user went on to insinuate that this was a deliberate conspiracy by Modi to prevent Phogat from winning the competition, drawing a parallel with the infamous story of Hitler’s alleged manipulation of events.

The Wire columnist, Ravi Nair, who also writes for The News Click and The Hindu, shared a cartoon on social media that depicted a person dressed like PM Modi with a lotus in hand, symbolizing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), subtly manipulating the weighing machine to add extra weight to Vinesh Phogat’s scales. It is noteworthy that Ravi Nair had earlier made derogatory posts about PM Modi and also did many hit jobs against Adani group.

RJ Sayema who was nominated as “Equality Ambassador” by the US Embassy peddled lies that the WFI had conspired to prevent Vinesh Phogat from getting a medal. She wrote, “So, it IS the Wrestling Federation, after all! Sorry @Phogat_Vinesh, we truly don’t deserve you. “She wanted to compete in the still manageable 53kg category but a younger rival – Antim Panghal – had claimed that spot. Vinesh desperately asked for trials to determine who would represent India at the Olympics for that weight. *The federation didn’t budge. If she had to go to the Olympics, Vinesh had to wrestle at 50kg, or she wouldn’t get to wrestle at all.*”

IOC’s Weighing Rule

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has a strict weighing rule in place to ensure the safety and well-being of athletes. Introduced in 2017, the rule aims to prevent wrestlers from drastically reducing their weight in a short span, which can have adverse health effects.

The rule states that wrestlers should compete in their natural weight category, rather than trying to shed excess pounds. This is because rapid weight loss can lead to health problems in the long run. The IOC’s president, Nenad Lalovic, emphasized that the rule is in place to protect athletes’ health, rather than revise it based on individual incidents.

According to Lalovic, “The wrestlers are losing too much weight and it’s not good for their health. Many have seen their interest at the moment but they don’t see what happens in 20-30 years. We want athletes to compete at their natural weight. That’s the idea. This is when they make the best performances.”

Did Vinesh Phogat Alone Face Disqualification At Paris Olympics 2024?

Contrary to the misinformation campaign peddled by Congressi simps, Vinesh Phogat is not the only athlete who has been disqualified due to weighing issues in the Olympics. In fact, Italy’s Emanuela Liuzzi faced a similar situation as Phogat, as she was also disqualified from competing in the women’s freestyle wrestling finals for exceeding the 50kg weight limit.

So far, at the Paris Olympics, three athletes were forced to withdraw from their competitions due to issues with their weight. Emanuela Liuzzi, an Italian wrestler, was disqualified from the women’s 50kg freestyle category after being found overweight. Liuzzi had secured a spot in the Olympics after her North Korean counterpart, Kim Sonhyang, withdrew from the event. In another instance, Messaoud Redouane Dris, an Algerian judoka, was disqualified from the Judo competition for being 400 grams overweight. She was set to compete against Israel’s Tohur Butbul. Meanwhile, American wrestler J’den Cox, who had won a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, failed to make it to the 97kg category at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics due to being overweight. He was subsequently disqualified from competing.

In contrast to the intense media attention and political backlash in India, the other nations taking the news in stride, without making a big fuss about it. In fact, unlike the Indian politicians who have criticized the decision, and officials did not jump into the controversy, instead maintained a low profile.

Does The “Conspiracy Theory” Hold?

Former Indian Olympic medalists and Olympians have spoken out about Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification from the Paris Olympics. Yogeshwar Dutt emphasized that according to wrestling rules, athletes must meet their designated weight requirements, and even a small deviation of 10 grams can result in disqualification. He noted that international wrestlers are aware of the risks of being disqualified for exceeding their weight limits.

Viren Rasquinha, CEO of Olympic Gold Quest and former Olympian/captain of Indian Hockey team, issued a statement to clarify the events surrounding Vinesh’s disqualification. He explained that Vinesh had to make weight on two days of her 50kg women’s wrestling category at the Paris Olympics and had made weight as per rules within 50kg on the morning of 6 August 2024. However, she missed the weight by 100 grams on the second day.

Viren Rasquinha stated, “As per the rules of UWW, Vinesh Phogat had to make weight on 2 days of her 50 kgs women’s wrestling category at the Paris Olympics if she reached the final or was eligible for repechage. She made weight as per rules within 50 kgs on the morning of 6th August. Generally, post the morning weigh in, wrestlers have a recovery meal to regain strength and your weight immediately bounces back by 2-3 kgs depending on your regular weight. Vinesh’s regular weight is 55 kgs.”

“On 6th August evening after the semi-final, Vinesh weighed in at 52.7 kgs. Post the semi-final, she did not have any water or food and immediately started on the plan for losing weight for the next day’s weigh in which was scheduled from 7.15am to 7.30am Paris time. She and team did everything possible steam, sauna, static cycling, running, gym etc. unfortunately she missed the weight by 100 gms.” he further stated.

Latest Update

It is noteworthy that PM Modi asked IOC Chief PT Usha to explore all ways possible to ensure Vinesh gets justice. Phogat submitted a plea to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) challenging the decision to disqualify her from the competition. Phogat placed a plea for a silver medal. It has been reported that the CAS has accepted her plea, and it is likely that former Solicitor General of India, Harish Salve will represent Phogat at the hearing.

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