PT Usha Blames Vinesh Phogat and Staff for Weigh-In Before CAS Verdict

With the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) set to announce its verdict on Vignesh Phogat’s silver medal eligibility for the Paris Olympics 2024 on Tuesday (August 13), Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha has already placed blame on the wrestler and her support staff. Usha emphasized that it was the athlete’s and her team’s responsibility to manage weight during the event and it is unjust to hold India’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala, accountable for her situation. 

The 29-year-old Indian wrestler was broken when she was disqualified for being 100 grams over the weight-in before her gold-medal match in the freestyle 50kg event last week. This disqualification wretched her Olympic dreams and led her to declare her retirement.

The incident sparked a ‘blame game’ and cause an uproar in Parliament, with some critics accusing Dr. Pardiwala and his team of negligence. Former IOA chief Narendra Batra even suggested that Vinesh’s diet could have contributed to her disqualification.   

"...the responsibility of weight management of athletes in sport like wrestling, weightlifting, boxing and judo is that of each athlete and his or her coach and NOT that of the IOA-appointed Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala and his team," Usha said in a statement.

"...the hate directed at the IOA medical team, especially Dr. Pardiwala, is unacceptable and worthy of condemnation."

She urged those quick to judge the IOA medical team to ‘consider all facts before drawing any conclusions.’ Vinesh had made history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the gold medal bout in her category on Tuesday night. However, her post-participation weight was found to be over the limit, and despite efforts, including cutting her hair, she was still 100 grams over during the morning weigh-in.

"Each Indian athlete in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in such sport had his or her own support team. These support teams have been working with the athletes over so many years," Usha said.

"The IOA appointed a medical team a couple of months ago, primarily as a team that would assist in the recovery and injury management of athletes during and after their competition. This team was also designed to support athletes who did not have their own team of nutritionists and physiotherapists," the IOA president added.

Vinesh has pleaded to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), requesting that she be awarded a joint silver medal with Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who was promoted to the final after Vinesh’s disqualification. American Sarah Hildebrandt claimed the gold by defeating Lopez in the final. The decision on Vinesh’s appeal is expected on August 13.