Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification from the gold medal bout at the Paris Olympics sent shockwaves through the Indian contingent and the wrestling world. The wrestler’s disqualification due to being 100gm overweight sparked an outpouring of sympathy and support.
However, London Olympics bronze medalist Yogeshwar Dutt has expressed a different perspective, stating that Vinesh should have apologized for missing out on the medal. “If someone gets disqualified at the Olympics, the first thing they should do is apologize to the entire country for their mistake and for the loss of a medal,” Dutt said.
Dutt criticized the narrative that Vinesh’s disqualification was a conspiracy, emphasizing that the rules apply equally to all athletes. “Everyone knows that if someone is disqualified, whether it’s because of a 1-gram, 10-gram, or 100-gram weight difference, the rules apply the same,” he said.
Dutt also questioned the protests against Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accusing the protesters of creating a “wrong atmosphere” across the country. “Even after the loss of a medal for the country, a new narrative was built, claiming that something wrong had happened to Vinesh,” he said.
Dutt’s comments come as Vinesh and Bajrang Punia, another prominent face in the protests, have joined the Congress party and are contesting the Haryana Assembly election. Dutt, who joined the BJP in 2019, was overlooked by the party for the upcoming state assembly polls.
