Hyderabad: Vinesh Phogat's husband Somvir Rathee, in an interview, on Saturday alleged the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) of not supporting the Indian wrestler during her Paris Olympics 2024 campaign. Rathee also refrained from commenting on Vinesh's sudden decision to quit wrestling after her disqualification in the women's 50 kg wrestling final event at the Paris Games.
The 29-year-old wrestler, who was competing in her third Olympics, was disqualified from the gold medal bout for being 100 overweight than the prescribed weight on the morning of the summit clash of the women's 50 kg freestyle wrestling event at the 2024 Summer Games.
In an interview with India Today, Rathee said that he wouldn't be able to provide much information, but mentioned that the wrestler didn't get any kind of support from the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
"It’s the love showered by the nation. Really happy to see this, the kind of love people are showering on Vinesh. Seeing her wrestling mates, her emotions flew out. I’m not aware of the celebrations planned for her since we just arrived in India. I won’t be able to say much right now, it’s a tough time for us. Even the federation is not with us. If no one stands with the player, how can one perform," Rathee told India Today.
Meanwhile, a few hours before she arrives in New Delhi, Vinesh hinted that she may reconsider her decision to quit wrestling through a social media post. "...Maybe under different circumstances, I could see myself playing till 2032, because the fight in me and wrestling in me will always be there. I can't predict what the future holds for me, and what awaits me in this journey next, but I am sure that I will continue to fight always for what I believe in and for the right thing," Vinesh wrote in the note she posted on X on Friday.
— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) August 16, 2024
Notably, the Indian wrestler had announced retirement from the sport through social media on August 8, a day after the final. "Mother, she won the wrestling match with me, I lost, sorry, your dream, my courage is all broken, I don't have any more strength than this. I will always be indebted to you all, sorry. Goodbye Wrestling 2001-2024," wrote Vinesh on her X handle.
माँ कुश्ती मेरे से जीत गई मैं हार गई माफ़ करना आपका सपना मेरी हिम्मत सब टूट चुके इससे ज़्यादा ताक़त नहीं रही अब।
— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) August 7, 2024
अलविदा कुश्ती 2001-2024 🙏
आप सबकी हमेशा ऋणी रहूँगी माफी 🙏🙏
Earlier, Sanjay Singh, the WFI chief, attributed the low medal count in wrestling at the Olympics to the wrestlers' protests against the former WFI head, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Singh also blamed wrestler Phogat, accusing her of failing to maintain her weight within the competition limit despite being provided with all necessary facilities and a foreign coach.
In response to a plea by wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and her husband Satyawart Kadian, the Delhi High Court has ordered the restoration of the mandate of the IOA's ad-hoc committee to oversee the affairs of the WFI.
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