India faced a major disappointment at the Paris Olympics when Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the 50 kg women's wrestling final.
Shortly after the news broke, Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra offered words of comfort to Phogat.
Vinesh was set to compete against the United States' Sarah Ann Hildebrandt in the Gold Medal match but was disqualified for weighing above 150 gm above the 50 kg limit.
Bindra expressed his sympathy in a post on X, stating, "Completely gutted. Sometimes you don't need a gold medal to be a true champion to people...."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reached out to console Vinesh, highlighting her status as an inspiration and a resilient champion. "Vinesh, you are a champion among champions! You are India's pride and an inspiration for every Indian. Today's setback hurts deeply, but I know you will come back stronger. We are all rooting for you," Modi wrote on X.
Following the disqualification, PM Modi spoke with Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha to gather information on the incident and explore possible options to support Vinesh. He encouraged Usha to file a strong protest regarding the disqualification if it could benefit Vinesh.
The Indian Olympic contingent released a statement expressing their regret over Vinesh's disqualification. Despite the team's best efforts, Vinesh was a few grams over the 50 kg limit during the morning weigh-in. The statement also requested privacy for Vinesh and emphasized the team's focus on the ongoing competitions.
Vinesh Phogat had secured her place in the final by defeating Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez 5-0 in the semi-finals on Tuesday night.