When asked his stance on the matter, Ganguly, known for his straightforward views, said, “I don’t know the exact rule, but I’m sure that when she reached the finals, she must have qualified properly.So when you go to the finals, it’s either a Gold or Silver medal. Whether she was disqualified wrongfully or not, I don’t know, but she deserves the silver medal at least.”
Vinesh Phogat faced an unexpected and disheartening end to her Olympic campaign ahead of her final bout. Despite her illustrious career, which includes two World Championship bronze medals, three Commonwealth Games golds, and multiple Asian Games and Asian Championship medals, her journey at the Paris Olympics was marred by controversy.
Phogat’s Olympic run began with her competing in the 50kg weight category, a shift necessitated by Antim Panghal occupying her usual category.
In her opening match, she faced the reigning champion Yui Susaki, who had been undefeated since 2010. Despite trailing 0-2 with seconds to go, Phogat staged a remarkable comeback to win 3-2, a victory that brought her to tears.
She continued her impressive run, defeating Ukraine’s Oksana Livach in the quarterfinals and Cuba’s Yusneylys Guzman in the semifinals.
However, her dreams were dashed when she was disqualified for weighing in 100 grams over the limit for the final. An immediate appeal was filed with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for a joint silver medal, but the outcome remains uncertain.
Phogat’s disqualification, coupled with her subsequent retirement announcement, has added a new intriguing layer to her already turbulent year.
