‘Despair’ over Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification & Nita Ambani’s ‘publicity blitz’ at Paris Olympics

Foreign media also looked at Indian Right-wing's participation at conferences abroad with aim to build global front against liberalism, and India's 1st multi-nation air combat exercises.

Graphic by Soham Sen, ThePrint

New Delhi: Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the Paris Olympics Wednesday after exceeding the 50 kg weight limit by just 100 grams, shattering her hopes of winning gold. Despite her efforts through the night to shed weight, including cutting her hair, Phogat couldn’t make the mark. The incident has caused widespread heartbreak in India, according to a report by The Guardian, ‘India in despair as Olympic wrestler disqualified from final despite cutting hair off’.

The report highlights Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s post on X, calling Phogat a “champion among champions”, “India’s pride”, and encouraging her to “come back stronger”.

Phogat, who had been within the weight limit before her three matches on Tuesday, faced a slight weight rebound after rigorous weight-cutting efforts. Shooter Abhinav Bindra and Indian Olympic Association president P.T. Usha voiced their disappointment and pledged support. Usha confirmed the Wrestling Federation of India is appealing the decision, and emphasised the nation’s backing for Phogat.

Meanwhile, a Financial Times report, written by Benjamin Parkin, Chris Kay and Josh Noble looked at how, since India’s Olympic delegation arrived in Paris, Nita Ambani, wife of “Asia’s richest tycoon” Mukesh Ambani, has garnered significant attention as the face of India’s campaign. “Nita Ambani embarks on a publicity blitz in Paris and brands herself as face of the country’s medal campaign,” says the report ‘India’s Ambani family leads charge for Olympic glory’.

The report highlights that Nita Ambani, who is a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), is pushing for India to host the 2036 Summer Olympics. And despite India’s Olympic underperformance and only three bronze medals so far, Nita Ambani’s campaign aims to boost India’s sports image and secure Reliance Industries’ interests, the report notes.

Meanwhile, critics say that the growing influence of business tycoons like Ambanis could blur the line between public welfare and private gain. “Is the involvement of tycoons in more and more public arenas dangerous? I think yes. It hands over more of our lives to business interests and, whatever their altruistic motives, at the heart of it undeniably lie private interests,” Santosh Desai, a prominent Indian columnist and advertising executive, is quoted as saying in the article.

Another Financial Times report, ‘India’s Bangladesh bet backfires after Sheikh Hasina ousted’, written by  Benjamin Parkin and John Reed discusses how the toppling of the long-governing Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina is a major setback for New Delhi.

The fall of Hasina’s regime has created a “power vacuum” in Bangladesh, thus challenging India’s regional strategy, especially at a time when it is witnessing a growing Chinese influence, note Parkin and Reed. Moreover, the report points out that this situation will affect India’s international image, which was earlier bolstered by its close ties with Hasina.

“Over the last couple of years, India should have read the tea leaves better,” Kanti Bajpai, an Indian foreign policy scholar tells FT. “The Indian government could have begun to step away from such a close relationship…this is now a problem.” Meanwhile, analysts conclude that whoever comes to power in Bangladesh now would have “little choice but to lean on its larger neighbour.”

In an Argument for Foreign Policy, ‘Can Modi’s BJP Go Global?’, columnist C. Raja Mohan highlights that more contacts between the Indian and Western Right could benefit both. The BJP’s recent outreach to Western conservatives, as per the article, signifies a shift from its traditional focus on diaspora connections and regional diplomacy.

In July this year, Ram Madhav and Swapan Dasgupta attended the National Conservatism Conference in Washington, discussing potential cooperation with Western nationalist parties. This was the first time the world saw Indian Right-wing participation at such conferences. This was aimed at building a global front against liberalism, the column says. Mohan writes that such engagement could reshape India’s international stance and provide the Indian Right with a more nuanced understanding of Western politics.

In a report titled ‘India hosting first multi-nation air combat drills considered to target China; action ‘only a lot of noise with little results’, in the Global Times, reports that India has launched its first multi-nation air combat exercises, named Tarang Shakti, in Sulur, Tamil Nadu.

The drills, running from 6 to 14 August, involve air assets from 10 countries and observers from 18 others. Germany, France, Spain, and the UK will participate in the first phase, while the US, Australia, Singapore, Greece, and the UAE will join the second phase in Jodhpur. The drills are being seen as India’s strategic move to strengthen alliances amid rising tensions with China.

“For India, one of the purposes of the multi-national military exercises could be enhancing mutual exchanges and seeking assistance in developing the next generation of stealth fighters and purchasing new fighter jets,” Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, told the Global Times.

Protests erupt in UK, Ukraine’s provocation to Russia

Riots have erupted at anti-immigration protests in towns and cities across Britain over the past week, with attacks by far-Right groups on hotels housing asylum seekers and on mosques. To understand why the protests erupted, read this explainer by Reuters.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of a “major provocation” after Moscow said it was battling a cross-border attack on the southwestern Kursk region. Read the latest report by Al Jazeera to know more.