Hyderabad: Following the dismissal of Vinesh Phogat's appeal for the silver medal by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Bajrang Punia, who was the primary face of the wrestler's protest against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) former president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, has shared a cryptic post on his X handle on Wednesday.
Vinesh's fellow wrestler Bajrang Punia took to his X handle and described the former as the "Kohinoor" of the country. He also emphasized that those who want medals, buy them for Rs 15 each, targeting Brij Bhushan Singh. "I agree that your medal was snatched away in this darkness, but today you are shining like a diamond in the whole world. World champion, India's pride, Rustam-e-Hind Vinesh Phogat, you are the country's Kohinoor. The whole world is becoming Vinesh Phogat Vinesh Phogat. Those who want medals, buy them for Rs 15 each," Bajrang wrote on his X handle.
माना पदक छीना गया तुम्हारा इस अंधकार में,
— Bajrang Punia 🇮🇳 (@BajrangPunia) August 14, 2024
हीरे की तरह चमक रही हो आज पूरे संसार में।
विश्व विजेता हिंदुस्तान की आन बान शान
रूस्तम ए हिंद विनेश फौगाट आप देश के कोहिनूर हैं।
पूरे विश्व में विनेश फौगाट विनेश फौगाट हो रही हैं।
जिनको मैडल चाहिए। खरीद लेना 15-15 रू में pic.twitter.com/8P1TwEiTiZ
This statement came after Bajrang and other wrestlers who were the part of protest had threatened WFI by saying that they will return their medals. In reply, Brij Bhushan's video, saying that the medals are worth Rs 15 went viral on the internet.
On Thursday, August 15, on the occasion of India's 78th Independence Day, Bajrang posted another cryptic post on his social media handles, featuring Vinesh Phogat's photo during their protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. "Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all the countrymen on the great festival of Independence Day," wrote Bajrang Punia on his X handle.
आजादी दिवस के महापर्व की सभी देशवासियों को हार्दिक बधाई एवं शुभकामनाएं।#जय_हिन्द 🇮🇳 #IndependenceDay2024 pic.twitter.com/Vp7TScOb6P
— Bajrang Punia 🇮🇳 (@BajrangPunia) August 15, 2024
Vinesh was disqualified for being 100 grams overweight than the prescribed weight on the morning of the women's 50 kg wrestling gold medal bout at the Paris Olympics 2024. On the next day of her disqualification, the Indian wrestler had appealed on two counts. The first plea was to allow her to weigh in before the commencement of the final bout while the second was to award her a silver medal as she reached the summit clash while competing under the prescribed weight category on Tuesday where she won three consecutive bouts.
The verdict signed by Sole Arbitrator Annabelle Bennett on Wednesday stated that "the application filed by Vinesh Phogat on 7 August 2024 is dismissed." Following that IOA shared a statement on the same day which stated that it was exploring ‘further legal options’ after CAS dismissed Vinesh Phogat's plea.
“The matter involving Vinesh highlights the stringent and, arguably, inhumane regulations that fail to account for the physiological and psychological stresses athletes, particularly female athletes, undergo. It is a stark reminder of the need for more equitable and reasonable standards that prioritize athletes' well-being,” the IOA said in a statement.
In a statement, IOA President PT Usha expressed "shock and disappointment at the decision of the Sole Arbitrator at the CAS to dismiss wrestler Vinesh Phogat's application against the United World Wrestling (UWW) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC)."
"The operative part of the August 14 decision, which dismisses Vinesh's application to be awarded a shared silver medal in women's 50 kg category at the Paris Olympic Games has significant implications for her in particular and the sporting community at large," the IOA stated. The rejection of Vinesh's appeal means India's tally from the Paris Olympics will be of six medals which includes one silver and five bronze.
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