Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat has made startling revelations about her meeting with PT Usha, the president of the Indian Olympics Association (IOA), following her heartbreaking disqualification from the Paris Olympics 2024 due to a failed weigh-in.
Phogat, who was admitted to a poly-clinic in the Olympics village after falling ill, claims that PT Usha’s visit and subsequent social media post were insincere and exploitative. She alleges that Usha did not offer any meaningful support during her time of distress.
“I don’t know what support I got there,” Phogat said in an interview with a local news channel. “PT Usha madam visited me at the hospital. One photo was clicked… Like you said, in politics a lot happens behind closed doors. Similarly, politics happened there (in Paris) as well. That’s why I was heartbroken.”
Phogat, who recently joined the Indian National Congress, expressed her disappointment with Usha’s decision to share the photo on social media, claiming that it was a mere publicity stunt.
“You are on a hospital bed, where you don’t know what’s happening in life outside, you are going through one of the worst phases of your life. At that place, just to show everyone you are standing with me, aap bina bataye photo kheench rahe ho, fir social media pe daal ke bol rahe ho hum saath mein khade hain (clicked a photo without telling me and then putting it on social media to say you are standing with me),” Phogat said.
“That’s not how you show support (pretending to). What was it more than (posturing)!”
Phogat’s allegations have raised questions about the integrity and transparency of the IOA and its leadership. Her claims have also sparked a debate about the treatment of athletes in India, particularly those who face setbacks or controversies.
