India's Back-Dated Domestic Competitions Cost Vinesh? Coach's Big Claim

Former Indian wrestler Kripa Shankar has opened up on grappler Vinesh Phogat's disqualification from the Paris Olympics 2024. Vinesh, who was set to compete in the gold medal match on Wednesday, was disqualified for being a few grams overweight on the morning of her 50kg bout. Vinesh had scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the gold medal bout in the event on Tuesday night. However, her hopes of winning a gold medal at the Olympics were shattered following the official verdict.

Vinesh was eligible to compete on Day 1 after she made the weight. However, as per the new rules, a wrestler must meet the weight limit on both the days.

It has been learnt that Vinesh was a kilogram overweight on Tuesday night, and even managed to reduce 900 grams overnight. She didn't sleep the entire night and also didn't eat anything. However, she couldn't do enough to get rid of the remaining 100 grams of extra weight.

Speaking exclusively with NDTV, Kripa Shankar, a former Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, has suggested that reducing weight overnight is not easy.

Shankar revealed that Vinesh does not have a previous experience of giving her weight twice during an event. However, he blamed the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for not implementing the practice of taking the weights twice during national events.

"I don't think Vinesh ever had the experience of going for weigh-ins twice. Even in the national tournaments there is no such criteria of taking the weights of the wrestlers twice. I had once asked the Indian wrestling body not to implement half-finished rules, but they suspended me for six years. I feel that the wrestling body wants to avoid extra expenditure by organising a one-day tournament. By doing so, you are not giving the wrestlers the right ecosystem to wrestle. Giving weight is such an important practice in wrestling. This might be a small thing for many, but this has cost us big time (with Vinesh's disqualification)," Shankar, who is also a wrestling coach, told NDTV.

If the wrestler is found overweight, they have 25 minutes to reduce it by doing cycling, running, sauna.