"Should Get The Bharat Ratna" - Khaps In Haryana Demand 'Justice' For Vinesh Phogat

The Paris Olympics 2024 has concluded, and the Indian contingent has returned with 6 medals: 5 bronze and 1 silver. Wrestling managed to secure a single medal, won by Aman Sehrawat in the men’s 57 kg category. By winning the bronze, the 19-year-old became the youngest Indian to win an Olympic medal. However, wrestling also brought heartbreak for India as Vinesh Phogat faced disqualification from her gold medal bout in the women’s 50 kg category. This setback led to Phogat announcing her retirement from the sport. Moreover, the wrestler filed an appeal with CAS, demanding a shared claim on the silver medal in the category where she had won the semi-final before her disqualification due to being 100 grams over the permissible weight limit. While Phogat awaits the final verdict, the matter seems to be escalating in her home state of Haryana.

Khaps In Haryana Demand A Bharat Ratna For Vinesh Phogat

Several Khap panchayats (community-based councils) held a Sarv Khap Mahapanchayat at Charkhi Dadri in Haryana. The council voiced their support for Vinesh Phogat, putting forward a number of demands to the authorities in favor of the wrestler. The Khaps first appealed to Phogat to retract her retirement. The 29-year-old had announced her retirement from wrestling a day after her disqualification from the Paris Olympics.

However, the matter escalated as the Khaps demanded a Bharat Ratna for Vinesh Phogat. Sombir Sangwan, the head of Sangwan Khap, also demanded a probe into the issue, calling for a sitting Supreme Court Judge to take up the case. Phogat’s disqualification was a result of her being 100 grams over the 50 kg mark on the day of the final. Sangwan noted that her weight should not have increased in the presence of a specialized team, suggesting that the matter reeks of a conspiracy.

“Several persons accompanied her, and it was their responsibility to ensure that her weight did not increase,” he said. “Considering her achievements, she should be awarded the Bharat Ratna,” he added.

#WATCH | Haryana: A special khap panchayat meeting called in Charkhi Dadri for wrestler Vinesh Phogat, demanding justice for her.#Olympics pic.twitter.com/KSm1FtdMRD

— ANI (@ANI) August 11, 2024

The council's demands did not stop there. Furthermore, reading out their agenda, Sangwan called for all the facilities that an Olympic gold medalist is entitled to be provided to Vinesh Phogat. The Haryana government has already announced that Vinesh Phogat will be felicitated as a silver medalist by the state upon her return, regardless of the final verdict by CAS. 

Moreover, Phogat will receive a monetary reward of 4 crores, as designated for silver medal winners. However, the demand to honor her as a gold medalist means that Phogat should be rewarded with 6 crores by the state. Sangwan also announced that the council will organize a function to celebrate and honor Vinesh Phogat’s achievements.

The Disqualification Of Vinesh Phogat From Paris Olympics And The Silver-Medal Appeal To CAS

As unfortunate as Vinesh Phogat's disqualification was, the Indian wrestler is not the first to suffer this fate at the Olympics. The gold medalist in the men’s 57 kg freestyle wrestling at the Paris Olympics, Rei Higuchi of Japan, was disqualified from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for being 50 grams over the permissible weight limit. Moreover, other sports like boxing and judo have witnessed such cases over the years at the Olympic Games.

Vinesh Phogat won 3 consecutive bouts, including the semi-final against Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman on August 6, to advance to the finals. By winning the semi-final, Phogat became the first Indian to qualify for the women’s wrestling final at the Olympics. However, Phogat gained 2.7 kg ahead of her final bout scheduled for Tuesday, August 7. Reportedly, the 29-year-old underwent a rigorous process to shed the extra weight by jogging and skipping the entire night.

On the day of the test, the team resorted to cutting her hair and clothes short, even attempting to draw blood in a valiant effort to meet the qualification. Despite these efforts, Vinesh Phogat remained 100 grams over the permissible limit, eventually falling out of contention for the gold medal bout.

#WATCH | Haryana: On Khap Panchayat over wrestler Vinesh Phogat's disqualification from the final event of the Olympics, Charkhi Dadri MLA Sombir Sangwan says, "The main agenda of today's panchayat was to expose the betrayal and deceit experienced by our daughter and ensure she… pic.twitter.com/SPJkFI8C9z

— ANI (@ANI) August 11, 2024

The disqualification led to Phogat losing out on the silver medal, which she would have otherwise secured with her semi-final win. The gold medal match proceeded as scheduled, with Yusneylis Guzman taking Phogat’s place. The Cuban won the silver medal, while America’s Sarah Hildebrandt rightfully claimed the gold. Heartbroken by the setback, Phogat announced her retirement before filing an appeal with CAS, demanding a joint claim on the silver medal.

The governing body and the opposition in Phogat's case, the UWW, has made its stance clear. The UWW stated that no exceptions will be made for Phogat, although they will reform the rules moving forward. However, the case with CAS is still under review, with senior counsels Harish Salve and Vidhushpat Singhania representing Vinesh Phogat and the IOA. The IOA, on Saturday, August 10, issued a statement informing that CAS will announce the final decision on August 13.