Chandigarh (Haryana) [India]: Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Haryana minister Moolchand Sharma on Thursday said that Vinesh Phogat is the pride for the state and the country and there should be no politicisation of her disqualification from the Paris Olympics 2024.
“Vinesh Phogat is the pride of the state and country. We all are deeply pained because of her disqualification. Our daughter Vinesh Phogat will get justice. There should be no politicisation over her disqualification. Nobody is above the rules. We all are with our daughter and her family,” said the Haryana minister.
In a big blow to India’s medal hopes from the wrestling arena, the grappler was disqualified from the 50 kg women’s wrestling event for breaching the weight mark. Vinesh was scheduled to take on the United States’s Sarah Ann Hildebrandt in the gold medal match on August 7.
Vinesh had entered the Gold Medal bout after beating Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez 5-0 in the semi-finals on Tuesday night.
India will hope for medals in the remaining events where its athletes are competing. Avinash Sable will be taking part in the 3000 Metre Steeplechase final on Thursday.
India has so far won three bronze medals at the Paris Olympics and all of these came from shooting.
India had the chance to win more medals but failed to clinch after finishing at the fourth place in 10m air rifle, 25m pistol, skeet team, badminton singles and mixed archery team events.
Phogat on Thursday announced her retirement from wrestling following her disqualification in the 50 kg freestyle wrestling final at the Paris Olympics.
She shared her decision in an emotional post on X on Thursday morning.
“Maa kushti (wrestling) won against me, I lost. Forgive me, your dream and my courage have been broken. I don’t have any more strength now. Goodbye Wrestling 2001-2024. I will always be indebted to you all for forgiveness,” Phogat said in her post