Wrestler Vinesh Phogat has broken her silence after disqualification from the Paris Olympics just before the women's 50kg gold medal match for being 100 grams overweight.
In her first reaction, Phogat said that it was hard luck that she missed the medal, but it was part of the game.
The disqualification broke the hearts of fans and people across the country. In the final match, Phogat was scheduled to take on the United States' Sarah Ann Hildebrandt and was assured of a silver medal. However, now she will be returning home empty-handed.
Phogat expressed herself before the Indian coaches — Virender Dahiya and Manjeet Rani — who met her after her shock disqualification.
"We met Vinesh and tried to console her. She was brave. She told us, 'it's hard luck that we missed the medal, but it is part of the game'," Dahiya said, sharing the details of their meeting.
“Several IOA officials were also there to meet her.”
Meanwhile, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha met Vinesh at the medical centre of the Olympic Village in Paris.
"After hearing the news that Vinesh Phogat is disqualified, I am shocked and disappointed. I had come here to meet Vinesh, she is physically and medically okay. Yes, mentally she is disappointed. Our support staffs are all with her to reduce the weight, they are trying their best...,"
Meanwhile, a political slugfest ensued in Delhi where politicians traded barbs on who was responsible for the mess.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi supported the wrestler, calling her a "champion among champions" in a social media post.
Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya declared that a "strong protest" had been lodged with the international body --United World Wrestling (UWW).
The opposition parties, however, sensed a conspiracy in the shocking reversal of fortunes for the wrestler, who was, till recently, the face of a fierce protest against "government inaction" on the sexual harassment allegations against former Wrestling Federation of India head Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
