NEW DELHI: The President of United World Wrestling (UWW), Nenad Lalovic, has communicated to the President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), PT Usha, that the existing weigh-in regulations, which resulted in Vinesh Phogat‘s disqualification from the women’s freestyle 50 kg final, are immutable retrospectively.
Despite empathizing with Phogat’s current distress, Lalovic clarified that the rules stand as they are.Phogat, poised for the final in her category, was disqualified after exceeding the weight limit by 100 grams during the mandatory weigh-in on the second day.
The UWW, in response to the IOA’s proposition to not disqualify an athlete’s results from days they met the weigh-in criteria, expressed sympathy and agreed to deliberate the suggestion at a suitable forum.
However, it emphasized that such changes could not be applied to past events. This stance offers a glimmer of hope for Phogat, who has also sought to overturn her disqualification through an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).
“During the meeting at the Wrestling House in Paris, Lalovic said that strict rules for weigh-in on competition days were drawn up keeping the wrestlers’ long-term health in view. The rules dissuade athletes from competing in lower weight categories with weight loss methods that could impact their health in the long term. UWW follows the set rules in all competitions including the Games. Its decision to disqualify Vinesh is in line with the rules of international wrestling, like all other instances of wrestlers failing to weigh in on the day of the competition,” the curt media release stated.
In discussions with Usha and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Sanjay Singh, Lalovic underscored that the stringent weigh-in protocols are designed with the athletes’ welfare in mind, aiming to discourage unhealthy weight loss practices that could jeopardize their long-term health.
He reaffirmed that UWW’s decision to disqualify Phogat aligns with the established international wrestling regulations, which are uniformly applied across competitions, including the Olympics.
The UWW has expressed its wish for Phogat’s swift recovery and anticipates her continued exemplary performance, reminiscent of her participation in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
PT Usha, acknowledging the situation from an athlete’s perspective, expressed gratitude towards Lalovic for considering the appeal and emphasized the importance of establishing rules that safeguard athletes’ health.
Despite empathizing with Phogat’s current distress, Lalovic clarified that the rules stand as they are.Phogat, poised for the final in her category, was disqualified after exceeding the weight limit by 100 grams during the mandatory weigh-in on the second day.
The UWW, in response to the IOA’s proposition to not disqualify an athlete’s results from days they met the weigh-in criteria, expressed sympathy and agreed to deliberate the suggestion at a suitable forum.
However, it emphasized that such changes could not be applied to past events. This stance offers a glimmer of hope for Phogat, who has also sought to overturn her disqualification through an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).
“During the meeting at the Wrestling House in Paris, Lalovic said that strict rules for weigh-in on competition days were drawn up keeping the wrestlers’ long-term health in view. The rules dissuade athletes from competing in lower weight categories with weight loss methods that could impact their health in the long term. UWW follows the set rules in all competitions including the Games. Its decision to disqualify Vinesh is in line with the rules of international wrestling, like all other instances of wrestlers failing to weigh in on the day of the competition,” the curt media release stated.
In discussions with Usha and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Sanjay Singh, Lalovic underscored that the stringent weigh-in protocols are designed with the athletes’ welfare in mind, aiming to discourage unhealthy weight loss practices that could jeopardize their long-term health.
He reaffirmed that UWW’s decision to disqualify Phogat aligns with the established international wrestling regulations, which are uniformly applied across competitions, including the Olympics.
The UWW has expressed its wish for Phogat’s swift recovery and anticipates her continued exemplary performance, reminiscent of her participation in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
PT Usha, acknowledging the situation from an athlete’s perspective, expressed gratitude towards Lalovic for considering the appeal and emphasized the importance of establishing rules that safeguard athletes’ health.
