Vinesh Phogat missing medal at Paris Olympics painful: Punjab CM Mann

PTI, Aug 15, 2024, 7:58 PM IST

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said it is painful that wrestler Vinesh Phogat missed a medal at the Paris Olympic Games after she was disqualified for being found 100gram overweight ahead of her final bout.

Mann also emphasised that coaches and staff are duty-bound to maintain wrestlers’ weight under the prescribed norms as they get “hefty salaries” from the public exchequer.

Vinesh’s hopes of securing a belated Olympic silver medal were dashed on Wednesday when the ad hoc division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected her appeal against her disqualification from the final for being 100gm overweight.

Vinesh, 29, was disqualified on the morning of the women’s 50kg freestyle final last week.

In her appeal, Vinesh had demanded that she be given a joint silver with Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who lost to her in the semifinals but was promoted to the summit clash following the Indian’s disqualification.

Despite announcing an extension of the deadline till August 16 to announce the verdict, the decision against the star grappler came out on August 14.

Replying to a question on Vinesh in Ludhiana on Thursday, Mann said he had visited her home in Charkhi Dadri a few days back. The CAS has rejected her appeal, he said, and added that missing the medal this way is painful.

Pointing towards coaches and other staff, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said they take “hefty salaries” so players win a medal at Olympic Games.

Vinesh lives in the hearts of all Indians, he said.

To another question, Mann said he is always ready to welcome leaders of good stature and repute in the AAP fold.

He said Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA Sukhwinder Singh Sukhi, who joined the AAP on Wednesday, is an honest mass leader.

The doors of AAP are always open for leaders who have a vision for the development of the state and welfare of its people, he said.