Wrestler Vinesh Phogat disqualified from Paris Olympics 2024 as she found overweight
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has confirmed Vinesh Phogat's disqualification from the Paris Olympics. She will not be able to play the final of 50 kg category women's wrestling to be held on Wednesday night.
Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat had to bow out of the Paris Olympics 2024 due to being overweight in the prescribed category. Vinesh plays in the 50 kg category. On Wednesday her weight was found to be more than 100 grams. After this, she was disqualified from Olympic women's wrestling.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has confirmed Vinesh's disqualification. She will not be able to play the final of 50 kg category women's wrestling to be held on Wednesday night. She will not even get any medal in the Olympics. The most difficult thing is that the decision of disqualification cannot be appealed.
โIt is with regret that the Indian contingent shares news of the disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from the Womenโs Wrestling 50kg class,โthe IOA said in a statement. โDespite the best efforts by the team through the night, she weighed in a few grams over 50kg this morning. No further comments will be made by the contingent at this time. The Indian team requests you respect Vineshโs privacy. It would like to focus on the competitions on hand.โ
First Indian female wrestler to reach the Olympic finals
Vinesh became the first Indian female wrestler to reach the finals in the Olympics by winning 3 matches on Tuesday. She defeated Cuban wrestler Yusneylys Guzmรกn in the semi-finals, Oksana Livach of Ukraine in the quarterfinals, and world champion Yui Susaki of Japan 3-2 in the pre-quarterfinals.
Lost the quarterfinals in Tokyo, out of Rio due to injury
This is Vinesh Phogat's third Olympics. She was out of the 2016 Rio Olympics due to injury. After this, she lost in the quarter-finals of the Tokyo Olympics. Vinesh did not lose any of her matches in the Paris Olympics. After reaching the final on Tuesday, a medal was considered certain.
Vinesh was involved in the movement against then-WFI President
Vinesh is the same wrestler who had launched a movement against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh. Pictures of Vinesh being dragged on the streets of Delhi for protesting against the sexual exploitation of female wrestlers had also gone viral.
There was a lot of uproar regarding the Paris Olympic selection trials. Due to the selection of wrestler Antim Panghal, Vinesh had to leave her original weight category of 53 kg and reduce her weight to the 50 kg category.
"Looking at the Olympics performance, its unfortunate that we didnโt win a medal": Mary Kom hints to make a comeback in Pro-Boxing
Notably, so far only three Indian boxers have won medals in the Olympics โ Vijender Singh (bronze in Beijing 2008), Mary Kom (bronze in London 2012) and Lovlina Borgohain (bronze in Tokyo 2020).
Six-time world champion MC Mary Kom expressed disappointment over the poor performance of Indian boxers in the Paris Olympics 2024. She said that being a medal winner, it is natural that she feels bad.
India had sent a team of six boxers to the Paris 2024, which included two men and four women. It also included Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Lovlina Borgohain and world champion Nikhat Zareen.
Mary Kom expressed her desire to re-enter professional boxing
Mary Kom expressed her desire to re-enter professional boxing, stating, "I am planning to make a comeback.I will try to make a comeback in pro-boxing." In the same event, she shared her happiness in participating in sports-promoting events but remained concerned about India's performance at the Olympics.
'We will assess what needs to be done'
Mary Kom told IANS during the Army Sports Conclave, "Looking at the Olympics performance, its unfortunate that we didnโt win a medal in the 2024 Olympics. We will assess what needs to be done moving forward and what shouldnโt be done,"
India's boxing campaign was disappointing
Lovlina (women's 75kg) missed out on a historic second medal at the Paris Olympics and lost to China's Li Qian in the quarterfinals. At the same time, in the men's 71 kg category, Nishant Dev had reached the quarter-finals, but he had to face defeat from Marco Verde of Mexico.
Two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen (women's 50kg), Commonwealth Games champion Amit Panghal (men's 51kg) and Preeti Pawar (women's 54kg) lost in the round of 16 in their respective categories. Jasmine Lamboria (women's 57 kg) was eliminated in the round of 32. Overall, India's Paris Olympics boxing campaign was disappointing.
"As a world champion and medallist myself, its natural to feel disappointed. We'll focus on more practice and hard work for the upcoming tournaments," Mary Kom added.
Only three boxers achieved olympic medal
Notably, so far only three Indian boxers have won medals in the Olympics โ Vijender Singh (bronze in Beijing 2008), Mary Kom (bronze in London 2012) and Lovlina Borgohain (bronze in Tokyo 2020).
A lot of instances have seen cricket being differentiated from other sports. Especially, in South Asian countries, where cricket rules a fraternity, "sports" look doomed. An established "Cricket versus Sports" league is not a 2-month long tournament. It's an age-long duel with apparent results. But, is cricket guilty?
If we look back, Cricket was not as big as it is now. Restricted within the allies of a colonized country, cricket was just a time pass. 36 years to Independence, but a famous singer (Lata Mangeshkar) had to arrange a charity musical show to gather prize money for the 1983 World Cup Winners.
The image of Kapil lifting the World Cup trophy from the iconic Lord's balcony. Photo Collcted.
India gained some confidence since then. the biggest boost came after the win in the inaugurating T20 World Cup Win. 2007, 24the September, exactly 20 years back, the seed of the cash-rich league got sown.
Indian Premier League, started in 2008, is the biggest source of money earning for BCCI. Keeping aside BCCI, the neighbouring cricketing nations have their cricket board more powerful than the other boards. But is this a fault of Cricket?
"Athletes" ignites the fire of "Cricket versus Sport" League
India won its second T20I World Cup after ending its 11 years of drought. The fans who were frustrated for a decade finally got one thing to celebrate. The Marine Drive got flooded with people. The Wankahde Stadium showed all its suppresed love to the team.
The Indian team received a grand welcome at the Mumbai's Marine Drive that was followed by a felicitation ceremony at the Wankhede Stadium. AP
But this has triggered athletes from different sports. Names like Chirag Shetty and Saina Nehwal came into the limelight criticizing the sport. When Shetty wanted equal recognition for India's win in the last Uber Cup, Saina went a step ahead. Her view was simple- people wouldn't even hate cricket even if she did so. But, why would someone hate cricket?
This is not a once or twice-told story. This widespread competition with cricket is not new. But is cricket a foe to other sports? Here are a few stories of "influence" and "idolization" in the recent past, not only from India but from neighbors too.
Sri Lanka Cricket funded CWG participating athletes.
Palitha Bandara recorded a distance of 44.20 meters and won the silver medal for Sri Lanka. Photo collected
The pre-2022 Commonwealth Games has seen an economic crisis in Sri Lanka. Not just economic, but the life on the island was distressed. The then Prime Minister Rajadhakshya fled from the country. Sri Lanka since its independence faced their record crisis.
The country fell short of food and fuel. The pandemic had already hit the Sports authorities. The crisis increased the hardships. They ran out of money. The situation was so pathetic that the boards couldn't manage transport to send the accessories to the athletes
At a point, the country thought of withdrawing its name from the Birmingham CWG. But at that very moment, Sri Lanka Cricket stepped in.
The board contributed 22 million Sri Lankan Rupees to the athletes participating. They hosted Australia and gathered the amount, despite the fears of the crowd ruining it.
Cricket Sri Lanka tried to cover all the funds. However, the athletes still had limited athleisure. CWG authorities too came in help for the athletes. Sri Lanka finished the CWG Campaign with four medals (one silver and three bronze).
Pakistan Cricket Board- the unsung sponsor for Arshad Nadeem
Arshad Nadeem Won the gold medal for Pakistan, at Paris Olympics. Photo coutesy: Olympics
The Paris Olympics Gold medallist Arshad Nadeem was initially an age-group cricket player, His focus later shifted to javelin through which Pakistan got its first medal after 1992.
Arshad Nadeem registered a monstrous throw of 92.97 metres sealing the gold for his country. Earlier he won the silver at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, Budapest, with a throw of 87.82 meters. He gave Pakistanโs first-ever medal at the World Athletics Championships.
But what did Pakistan give him? ignorance! The Commonwealth champion earlier expressed that he has been using a javelin for the last 8 years. His bosom friend and admirer Neeraj Chopra from India tweeted, urging the Pakistan Government to buy Nadeem news javelins.
Nadeem hails from Punjab's Miyan Channu village. Struggling themselves, the villagers funded him for his Olympic campaign. Added, that it was the Pakistan Cricket Bard who sponsored him.
PCB also financed Nadeem and his coach Salman Fayyaz Butt's air tickets.
Earlier BCCI secretary Jay Shah announced financial aid for the Olympians.BCCI granted Rs. 8.5 Crores (approximately $1.03 million) to the Indian Olympic Association for their Olympics campaign.
Recently a new NCA (National Cricket Academy) is near completion. The old existing facilities at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in the city center will be upgraded to a multi-sport training facility.
Apart from the cricketers, it will open doors for the Olympians too. NCA will have new facilities that will let them train there.
The new facilities will have World-Class Playing Grounds will have:
45 Practice Pitches: A variety of pitches to cater to different training needs.
Indoor Cricket Facilities: For year-round practice and skill development.
Olympic-Sized Swimming Pool: To aid in recovery and cross-training for athletes.
State-of-the-Art Training and Recovery Facilities: Equipped with the latest sports science technology to help athletes maintain peak physical condition and recover efficiently from injuries.
Cricketer- "athlete" collaboration
When one section came forward criticizing the fame, the other one took it handy to make their own.
Mahi's influence
Speaking about Swapnil Kusale, he himself mentioned that he doesn't follow any other sport apart from shooting. But he follows Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Kusale, who is an Indian Railways employee is a ticket checker like Dhoni. It took him 12 years to feature in the Olympics. And take India's first ever 10m Rifle position 3 medal. The Asian Games Champion accepted that MS's calm personality helps him to stay calm in chaos.
One of the biggest heartbreak for any badminton fan was Lakshya Sen's exit from the Olympics without a medal. The Chinese Lee Zii Jia shattered Sen's bronze medal dream.
But Sen's popularity is still unmatched in the sports arena. Even though he is "big," he still wants to "be the Virat Kohli of Indian badminton in coming years." In "The Ranveer Show" podcast he expressed his admiration for Kohli.
The other name that comes in the list is Nitesh Kumar. The Olympic Champion in the Men's Singles SL3 category is a Kohli fan. His winning celebration had some glimpses of Kohli's aggression.
But Nitesh's love for Kohli is not limited to celebrations. After succumbing to a deadly injury in Vizag, he started upgrading his badminton skills. Not only that, he delved himself into fitness, inspired by the 2013 version of Kohli.
P.R Sreejesh celebrated in his unique style after winning the bronze medal at paris. (Reuters Photo)
Soon after retirement, Indian Men's Hockey team goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh was assigned to train the junior hockey team. The two-time Olympic Bronze medallist was delighted to get this role. he not only talked about the future prospects but did mentioned about Rahul Dravid.
"The Wall" of Indian Hockey looked upon "The Wall" of Indian Cricket when it came to coaching. The way Dravid devoted himself to training the cricketing juniors, Seejesh is looking forward to doing the same for his sports.
The 2028 Olympics will feature Cricket after 128 years. The brand value of Virat Kohli played a pivotal role in the addition of cricket. But as Sunil Chhetri, the Indian former captain of Indian Football once said, Cricket excelling is great for that country. Then, how does that justify other sports not getting the "love" cricket gets?
How does that justify Chirag Shetty repeatedly slipping down on the court, in the Olympics quarterfinal, having his partner Sattwikraj Rankireddy as the lone warrior?
How does that justify the associations not getting enough funds and definitely investing to find talent?
How does that justify archers failing to read the wind in bigger stages?
It's an open-ended question. Is it cricket the enemy, or the system? Is cricket actually an enemy or a friend in need?
China Open 2024: Malvika Bansod enters Super 1000 quarterfinals for the first time by defeating top seed Kirsty Gilmour
The 23-year-old badminton player achieved this victory a day after defeating the Paris Olympics 2024 bronze medalist Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia.ย However, Malvika Bansod is the only Indian shuttler left in the competition.
Indian badminton player Malvika Bansod continued her brilliant form and entered the Super 1000 quarter-finals for the first time by winning a tough match against her higher ranked opponent Kirsty Gilmour at the China Open 2024 in Changzhou on Thursday.
Malvika Bansod, BWFranking 43rd, toiled hard for one hour and five minutes before defeating two-time Commonwealth Games medalist and world number 25 Gilmour of Scotland 21-17 19-21 21-16 in the women's singles round-of-16 match.
Earlier defeated Paris Olympics bronze medalist
The 23-year-old player achieved this victory a day after defeating the Paris Olympics 2024 bronze medalist Gregoria Mariska Tunjung of Indonesia.
However, Malvika Bansod, the only Indian shuttler left in the competition, faces a tough challenge as she will face fourth seed and two-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the last eight stage.
Although the Japanese shuttler has won both the matches against Malvika, the Indian shuttler came close to defeating Yamaguchi and she is hopeful that she will be able to register victory this time.
Malvika's sensational performance in pre-quarterfinals
In the opening game against Gilmour, Malvika was down 11-5 at the break. The Indian shuttler brought down the deficit to two points at 16-14 and then won seven of the next eight points to go one game up in the contest. Gilmour, drew on her experience to mount a comeback and close a tight second game.
Malvika surged to an eight-point lead at 10-2 in the decider. She later extended her advantage to 20-11. Gilmour fought back with five consecutive points to make it 20-16 but the late fightback proved too little for Malvika, who comfortably sealed her spot in the quarter-finals.
Indian athletes Manu Bhaker, Neeraj Chopra and Vinesh Phogat's brand value was boosted after the Paris Olympics 2024 where India bagged six medals. Manu Bhaker became India's only female athlete to bag multiple medals at a single Olympic while Neeraj Chopra had to be satisfied with a silver in javelin. However, wrestler Vinesh Phogat had to return home with disappointment despite qualifying for the final in the women's 50kg category. But, that did not stop her brand value from rising to nearly three times.
Manu Bhaker bags a 1.5 cr deal with Thumbs Up
Manu Bhaker won two medals in shooting for India at the Paris Olympics 2024.
Shooter Manu Bhaker won bronze in women's 10-metre air pistol and then won another bronze medal in the mixed 10-metre air pistol team event alongside Sarabjot Singh. This success made Manu an overnight celebrity in India and after returning home with those two medals she has been making huge brand deals which boosted her brand value on a large scale.
Manu used to charge INR 25 Lakhs per deal before the Paris Olympics 2024. But, after the success at the Olympics, her endorsement deal now has surged up to six times, helping her grab an INR 1.5 cr deal with Thumbs Up.
Neeraj Chopra won India's only silver medal at the Paris Olympics 2024.
India's golden boy Neeraj Chopra was already one of the highest-paid Indian athletes barring from cricketers. Though Neeraj could not defend his gold medal in Paris, his brand value rose by 30-40%. As per a report by NDTV, Neeraj's brand value is now USD 40 million or INR 330 crore.
Vinesh Phogat had to return empty-handed despite qualifying for the finals of Women's 50kg event.
On the other hand despite qualifying for the finals of the Women's 50kg wrestling event and becoming the first Indian women wrestler to achieve the feat, Vinesh Phogat had to return empty-handed after failing the weigh-in on the final day by 100 gms. Though Manu had appealed for a silver medal to the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS), her appeal was declined.
Despite a sad end to her Paris Olympics journey, Manu has been seen as a hero in India and was given a grand welcome when she returned home. Her performance in the Summer Olympics surged her brand value by a huge number. As per the Economic Times, Manu used to charge INR 25 lakhs per brand deal and is now charging INR 75 lakhs to 1 Cr. per deal.
Vinesh Phogat: "We did not give up," Indian Wrester pens emotional message for India
Vinesh Phogat, one of the most successful Indian female wrestlers penned an emotional message for Indian fans after her appeal for the silver medal was denied by CAS.
Vinesh Phogat, the Indian wrestler who had an unforgettable week at the Paris Olympics, penned an emotional message for all the Indians after returning home. Vinesh, who had successfully beaten the current world champion, a former European champion to become the first-ever Indian female wrestler to qualify for the Olympic finals, was disqualified from the tournament due to being overweight on the day of the final.
Though Vinesh and the Indian Olympic Association had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for the 50kg weight category silver medal, it was dismissed on Wednesday.
Vinesh had already announced her retirement from wrestling after her disqualification at the Paris Olympics 2024, but feels, she could see myself playing till 2032.
"Olympic rings: as a small girl from a small village I did not know what was the Olympics or what these rings meant. As a small girl, 1 dream of things like long hair, flaunting a mobile phone in my hand and doing all these things that any young girl would normally dream of. My father, an ordinary bus driver, would tell me that one day he would see his daughter fly high in a plane while he would drive on the road below, that only I would turn my father's dreams into a reality. I don't want to say it, but I think I was his favourite child because I was the youngest of the three. When he used to tell me about this I used to laugh at the absurd thought of it, it did not mean much to me. My mother, who could have a whole story written on the hardships of her life, only dreamt that all her children would one day live a life better than she did. Being independent and her kids being up on their own feet was enough of a dream for her. Her wishes and dreams were much more simple than my father's.
But the day my father left us, all I was left with were his thoughts and words about flying in that plane. I was confused about its meaning then but held that dream close to me anyway. My mother's dream was now further away because a couple of months after my father's death she was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. Here began the journey of three kids who would lose their childhood to support their single mother. Soon my dreams of long hair, a mobile phone faded as I faced the reality of life and got into the race for survival.
But survival taught me a lot. Seeing my mother's hardships, never-give-up attitude and fighting spirit is what makes me the way I am. She taught me to fight for what is rightfully mine, When I think about courage I think about her and it is this courage that helps me fight every fight without thinking about the outcome.
Despite a difficult road ahead we as a family never lost our faith in god and always trusted that he had planned the right things for us. Mother always said God will never let bad things happen to good people. I believed this even more when I crossed paths with Somvir, my husband, soulmate, companion and best friend for life. Somvir has taken every place in my life with his companionship and supported me with each role he took. To say we were equal partners when we faced a challenge would be wrong, for he sacrificed at each step and took my hardships, shielding me always. He placed my journey above his and offered his companionship with utmost loyalty, dedication and honesty. If not for him, I cannot imagine being here, continuing my fight and taking each day head-on. This is only possible because I know he is standing with me, behind me and when needed in front of me, always protecting me.
My journey here has allowed me to meet so many people, most good and some bad. In the past 1.5-2 years, a lot has happened off and on the mat. My life took many turns, felt like life took a stop for good and there was no way out from the pit we were in. But the people around me had honesty in them, they had goodwill and massive support for me. These people and their faith in me was so strongly grounded, it is because of them that I could continue through the challenges and get through the past 2 years."
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