New Delhi/Paris: An entire nation's hopes were crushed under the weight of 100 grams. With hours to go before her gold medal bout on Wednesday, Vinesh Phogat stood on the scale -- for her 50 kg category bout, she was 100 gm overweight, leading to an automatic disqualification on perhaps the biggest day of her sporting career.
Dehydrated after three gruelling bouts on Tuesday, a desperate Vinesh merely had "small amounts of water", cut her hair and stayed up all night working out to ensure that she didn't go over the prescribed limit for her weight.
It wasn't enough and no amount of pleading by the Indian officials to get her some more time to shed those 100 gm could change the rules.
So that's how it stayed, ending Vinesh's resilient run, during which she took down the reigning gold medallist only to be beaten by her own battered body.
As she recovered from the emotional and physical trauma of the turn of events at a polyclinic in the Olympic games village, a slugfest ensued in faraway Delhi, where politicians traded barbs on just who was responsible for the mess.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered her support, calling her a "champion among champions" in a social media post and sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya declared that a "strong protest" had been lodged with the international body -- United World Wrestling (UWW).
Mr Modi asks India Olympic Association (IOA) president P.T. Usha to seek a comprehensive review of Vinesh's disqualification from the Olympics. In a message to the wrestler, the Prime Minister said, “Vinesh, you are a champion among champions! You are India's pride and an inspiration for each and every Indian. Today's setback hurts. I wish words could express the sense of despair that I am experiencing. At the same time, I know that you epitomise resilience. It has always been your nature to take challenges head-on. Come back stronger! We are all rooting for you.”
According to sources, the Prime Minister spoke to Ms Usha and sought first hand information from her on the issue and the options India has in the wake of the setback. He asked Ms Usha to explore the full range of options and urged the IOA president to file a strong protest regarding Vinesh's disqualification if that helps her.
President Droupadi Murmu said, “Vinesh Phogat’s extraordinary feats at the Paris Olympics have thrilled every Indian and done the country proud. While we all share her disappointment at the disqualification, she remains a champion in the hearts of 1.4 billion people.”
“Vinesh embodies the truly indefatigable spirit of Indian women, and her epic fortitude and resilience are already inspiring future world champions from India. I wish her many laurels in the future,” Ms Murmu said in a post on X.
The Opposition parties, however, sensed a conspiracy in the shocking reversal of fortunes for the wrestler, who was, till recently, the face of a fierce protest against "government inaction" on the sexual harassment allegations against former Wrestling Federation of India head Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
The INDIA bloc MPs even held a protest on Parliament premises. Members of Opposition parties like the Congress, TMC, NCP(SP), JMM, RJD and SP also walked out of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi termed Vinesh's disqualification from the Olympics "unfortunate".
"It is unfortunate that Vinesh Phogat, India's pride, who reached the finals after defeating world champion wrestlers, was disqualified on technical grounds. We have full hope that the Indian Olympic Association will strongly challenge this decision and provide justice to the daughter of the country," Mr Gandhi said.
"Vinesh is not one to give up. We are confident that she will come back stronger to the wrestling arena. You have always made the country proud, Vinesh. Even today the whole country stands with you as your strength," the Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition said.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said: “India’s pride, Vinesh Phogat defeated world champions but has been disqualified due to technical reasons. She went through a lot. From protesting at the footpath for justice to reaching the pinnacle podium of the Olympics.”
Amid all the drama, a dream lay shattered and a country stood shocked, with many unable to fathom just how things could go this bad for Tuesday's showstopper in a matter of hours.
From going to sleep as an assured silver medalist, if not a gold medal winner, Vinesh woke up, went for weigh-ins and came back to find herself empty-handed in an Olympics yet again.
This was her third Olympic appearance. The first in Rio 2016 ended with her being stretchered off due to a career-threatening injury, while the second outing in Tokyo also halted painfully with an unexpected early loss.
"It's part of the game," a brave Vinesh told the Indian coaches who met her after her shock disqualification from the Paris Olympics.
"We are providing Vinesh all medical and emotional support," IOA president said in a statement.
"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," Ms Usha said.
The protests and appeals can continue, but the cold fact is that Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who lost to Vinesh in the semifinals, replaced her in the final.
Contingent's chief medical ifficer Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala wore a dejected look as he tried to explain the process of weight cutting. He said that every possible trick was used to ensure that Vinesh could be within the prescribed limit.
"The process of weight loss involves a calculated restriction of food and water along with sweating from exercises and the sauna till the morning weigh-in. This weight cut causes weakness and energy depletion, which is counterproductive to participation," he said, adding that Vinesh's post-participation weight had increased on Tuesday night and drastic measures were taken to save the situation "...including cutting off her hair. However, she was not below her allowed weight of 50 kg."
International rules stipulate that any grappler found overweight at the time of weigh-in ends up at the bottom of the final standings.
It is a particularly devastating result given that she had taken down defending champion and unbeaten till Tuesday, Yui Susaki of Japan, en route to the finals in a remarkable performance.
