Paris [France], August 7 : International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Nita Ambani offered support to Vinesh Phogat following her disqualification in the women's 50kg wrestling final at the Paris Olympics.
Vinesh was scheduled to take on United States wrestler Sarah Ann Hildebrandt in the gold medal match on Wednesday. A statement issued by the Indian Olympic contingent said that Phogat had tipped the scales above the 50 kg mark and was disqualified.
IOC member and Chairperson of Reliance Foundation, Nita Ambani, said, "Today, the entire nation shares Vinesh's pain and heartbreak. She is a champion fighter, and I have no doubt that she will come back stronger. She has shown time and again that her strength lies not only in her."
As per sources, the Prime Minister spoke to Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha and sought firsthand information from PT Usha on the issue and the options India has in the wake of Vinesh's setback. The Prime Minister asked the IOA President to explore the full range of options to help Vinesh's case.
Vinesh had entered the gold medal bout after beating Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez 5-0 in the semi-finals on Tuesday night.
IOC President PT Usha confirmed that the Wrestling Federation of India has filed an appeal to the United World Wrestling to reconsider the decision to disqualify Vinesh and said in a video released by the IOA, "I am shocked and disappointed at the disqualification of Vinesh from the Olympic Games Women's Wrestling 50kg class competition. I met Vinesh at the Olympic Village Polyclinic a short while ago and assured her of the complete support of the Indian Olympic Association, the Government of India and the whole country. We are providing Vinesh with all medical and emotional support."
"The Wrestling Federation of India has filed an appeal to UWW to reconsider the decision to disqualify Vinesh, and IOA is following that up in the strongest possible manner. I am aware of the relentless efforts made by Vinesh, the medical team, led by Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala and the Chef-de-Mission Gagan Narang throughout the night to ensure that she could meet the competition requirements. The IOA is taking every step to ensure that the morale of the contingent remains high. We are sure all Indians will stand with Vinesh and the entire Indian contingent," PT Usha added.
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