Anish Vij
The Indian wrestler who was disqualified after extreme attempts to cut weight has reportedly been hospitalised.
Vinesh Phogat made history at this year's Paris Games after becoming the first woman from her nation to reach the gold medal 50kg event.
The 29-year-old was supposed to be facing USA's Sarah Hildebrandt in the finals for the 50kg freestyle on Wednesday (7 August).
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But to make weight, she cut her hair and underwent intense weight-loss measures, such as allegedly drawing blood.
Sadly, she weighed a few grams above the limit and was removed from the draw in the morning.
The devastated fighter took to social media, writing: "Wrestling won and I lost. My dreams are shattered.
"Goodbye wrestling 2001-2024. I will always be indebted to you all. I am sorry."
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Indian women’s chief coach Virender Dahiya said: "The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Sanjay Singh and the IOA officials are in touch with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the United World Wrestling (UWW) over the issue.
"Last night her weight was up by 1kg. We and her personal support staff worked to cut it down. Unfortunately, it was slightly above the limit."
WFI president Sanjay Singh has since claimed that Phogat has been hospitalised, telling Republic: "Vinesh fell sick and was rushed to hospital. She is now feeling better."
In the interview with The Indian Express last year, Phogat opened up about how her desire to win came from her mother, who was widowed at 32 and suffered from cancer.
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She said: “It’s from my mother. Our relationship is stronger than the bond between friends. We share everything. She was about 32 when she became a widow.
“I feel sad thinking about it. She struggled for us. In that struggle, we didn’t even realise when we grew up.
“A single woman, she would be taunted by others, how they treated her.
“Before my father died, my mother didn’t even step out of the house; she didn’t even know what the price of tomatoes was. And then suddenly, tragedy struck.
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“When she suffered from cancer, she would go to Rohtak for chemotherapy. Totally illiterate, she didn’t even know where to sit, where to get off.
“No one supported her. We grew up seeing her struggle. If a single woman like that, illiterate, could fight the society on her own and made us big wrestlers, then we can do it too.
“If we (wrestlers) don’t speak out today, then all the struggles of my mother would have gone to waste.”
LADbible has contacted representatives of Vinesh Phogat for comment.