One billion erupt after superstar disqualified for being overweight

A country has launched an appeal at the Olympics after a superstar athlete was disqualified and likely denied a gold medal for being overweight.

Vinesh Phogat. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

India’s wrestling federation is appealing the disqualification of star athlete Vinesh Phogat at the Paris Olympics after she failed to make weight for the women’s 50kg final.

World bronze medallist Phogat has a huge profile in her billion-strong homeland after being in the public eye for months last year as part of a long-running protest against the then-chief of Indian wrestling when he was embroiled in a sexual harassment scandal.

She shocked the world in her first appearance in Paris, upsetting defending gold medallist Yui Susaki from Japan, who triumphed in Tokyo without dropping a single point and had an 82-0 record at senior international level.

Phogat then won her quarterfinal and semi-final matches against Ukrainian and Cuban opponents and was due to face Sarah Hildebrandt of the United States for the gold medal.

But in a bombshell that has rocked the sport, the 29-year-old was found to be overweight for her category.

Vinesh Phogat was found to be overweight. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) had filed an appeal with global governing body United World Wrestling to reconsider the decision to disqualify Phogat.

“Despite the best efforts by the team through the night, she weighed in a few grams over 50kg this morning,” the IOA said in a statement.

IOA president P.T. Usha said Phogat’s disqualification was “very shocking”, adding the team was providing Phogat with “all medical and emotional support”.

Phogat was considered a strong prospect for winning gold at her third Olympics and her sidelining was greeted with shock at home.

“I wish words could express the sense of despair that I am experiencing,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a social media post. “Come back stronger! We are all rooting for you.”

Phogat upset Yui Susaki of Team Japan. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

Vinesh Phogat (centre) is detained by the police while attempting to march to India's new parliament last year. (Photo by Arun THAKUR / AFP)

Phogat helped lead a weeks-long sit-in protest in New Delhi last year against then-WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, at the time a politician from Modi’s ruling party.

Singh is being tried on accusations of groping female athletes and demanding sexual favours from them - charges he denied.

Wrestling is hugely popular in rural northern India and images of Phogat and other athletes being detained as they tried to march to parliament during the protest went viral on social media.

“Vinesh you are a gold medallist of courage and morality,” Bajrang Punia, a fellow leader of last year’s protests, and a Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist, said on social media.

“You have fought with grit,” he added. “Nobody wants to believe what happened this morning.”

- with AFP

Originally published as One billion erupt after superstar disqualified for being overweight