Vinesh Phogat calls the missing Olympic medal ‘biggest wound’ of her life. She returned to India after shattering her dreams and well-performed wrestling maneuvers in Paris, where her hope for an Olympic podium was dashed. The 29-year-old Vinesh was left heartbroken, crushing her Olympic dreams, and prompting her to initially announce her retirement. Vinesh had scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the gold medal bout in her category.
- The Indian wrestler had sought a silver medal following her disqualification from the women’s 50kg gold medal bout due to being overweight by just 100 grams in the morning weigh-in. Vinesh has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, demanding that she be awarded a joint silver medal with Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who had lost to the Indian but was later promoted to the final following the Haryana wrestler’s disqualification. But it was not favorably resolved.
- Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha had opined that it is the responsibility of the athlete to manage their weight and the attack on its medical team, especially Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala is “unacceptable and worthy of condemnation.” She hoped that those rushing to judge the IOA medical team “would consider all facts before arriving at any conclusions”.
- IOA President has rightly opined that all facts should be analyzed before drawing any conclusion. However, it must be kept in mind how much mental pressure would have been there on the respective players when s/he is going to fight for the top position. S/he should be concentrating increasingly on the strategies to be developed for the bout, understanding the capabilities of the opponent, etc., besides keeping own physical health in right proportions. At this highest level of forthcoming bout, no player could be left alone with Coach to ensure his/her physical fitness. As is widely publicized in the media (social or otherwise), Vinesh had done her best to arrive at the correct weight management. She had left no stone unturned including tireless exercises whole night, cutting of own hair, sucking out own blood, etc.
But a few definite questions (not a blame game), remain to be answered sincerely as our nation too in the process had lost a medal:
- How much motivation and needed support had been given to Vinesh at the appropriate time? It should be the duty of every accompanied non-playing contingent member to have looked it not as a fault of a player (Vinesh in this case), but also to visualize that India was standing at the crossroad at that moment to achieve GOLD or Definitely SILVER medallion. Had the accompanied contingent shown needed concern to ensure that at least Vinesh could have been stopped from going to the bout on medical grounds, as she had been hospitalized and was vomiting? The contingent members also had equal accountabilities, who had gone over there at the huge expense of the Taxpayers’ money. The Hon’ble Minister would spell out the amount spent on the Contingent also and their real worth in terms of capabilities. Their upmost duty to the country should be to ensure by all means that no medal, which was likely for the country, is lost in the air. Forget individual player like Vinesh or anyone else, they must have safeguarded the interest of India, which had lost a medal definitely.
- It is their duty to ensure that all players are provided proper, unadulterated, and adequate food and liquids. Definitely they should be made accountable to express what pre-emptive action they had taken in this case or had just left the situation at the fate and efforts of Vinesh and remained mere spectators just doing something here and there? Did India (not only Vinesh) going to lose a medal ever came up into their priority? Did any member of the contingent try to cut Vinesh’s hair a little more to bring her overall weight within limits? Did they ever effectively try to watch her weight before she went for final weighing?
- “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.” Did they really support Vinesh in the matter of nutrition and recovery management? If so, was it timely and adequate?
- Prima facie, it seems not fully done. Afterall the big contingent had not gone over there to enjoy at Taxpayers’ money. If everything is expected to be ensured by the individual players, there is no need to depute any non-playing members, except the coach.
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