All eyes were on Vinesh Phogat as she was gearing up to battle it out in the Olympic finals. Indians all across the globe were rooting for her. However, fate has other plans. In a disheartening turn of events, Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the 2024 Paris Olympics for exceeding the permissible weight limit by over 150 grams.
A report in Indian Express has reported that Vinesh is roughly 100 grams over the permissible limits, which led to her disqualification.
As soon as the news surfaced that Vinesh was out of the Olympics, netizens demanded an inquiry and were left disheartened over it. Several Bollywood celebs came out in support of Vinesh Phogat, while some even expressed disappointment and pulled up their nutritionist.
Veteran actor turned politician Hema Malini also shared her two cents after Vinesh was disqualified for being slightly overweight
Hema Malini said its 'a lesson for all of us' to keep our weight in check.
Talking to PTI, Hema Malini said, "It is very surprising and bada ajeeb sa bhi lagta hain ki 100 gm ki wajah se woh disqualify ho gayi. Kitna mehatwa hain apna weight aur wazan ko theek se rakhna! Hum sab ko isse ek achha seekh milna chahiye sab kalakaro ko, mahilayon ko sabko... ki 100 gm also matters a lot! We feel very sad for her. I wish she lost that 100 grams quickly lekin milega nahi abhi (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 should lose that 100 gm quickly but she would not get an opportunity)."
Hema Malini was brutally slammed for her statement and netizens called her 'insensitive and illogical'
A user wrote, "I really don't get why people vote for someone like Hema Malini."
Another said, "It's an extremely stupid and insensitive thing to say in this context... Being overweight by 100 g is more of a logistical error and bad luck rather than her being unhealthy... Do you realise that the extreme training and the strict diet these Olympic athletes follow... She did not defeat the world no 1 being mediocre in power and skill... Saying these things makes it seem that she was eating samosas and ice cream every day... Healthy living is an important message but there is a time place for everything."
Several Bollywood celebs have stood in support of Vinesh and lauded her for reaching this far.
Will Vinesh get a medal?
The disqualification means that Vinesh will end up without a medal in the Games as international rules stipulate that any grappler found overweight at the time of weigh-in ends up at the bottom of the final standings.
VIDEO | "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 should lose that 100 gm quickly but she would not get an opportunity," says BJP leader… pic.twitter.com/9vFyl91Dll
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 7, 2024
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) released a statement confirming the same. The statement read: "It is with regret that the Indian contingent shares news of the disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from the Women's Wrestling 50kg class. Despite 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 Vinesh's privacy. It would like to focus on the competitions on hand."
