Members of the Indian film industry have extended their support to wrestler Vinesh Phogat after she was disqualified from the 50 kg women's wrestling event at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday.
Phogat, who was poised to compete for the Gold Medal against Sarah Ann Hildebrandt of the United States, was disqualified after weighing in slightly above the 50 kg limit.
A statement from the Indian Olympic contingent confirmed the disqualification, explaining that Phogat had tipped the scales a few grams over the prescribed weight despite the team's efforts to address the issue overnight.
The statement expressed regret and requested privacy for Phogat, emphasizing the team's desire to focus on remaining competitions.
"It is with regret that the Indian contingent shares news of the disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from the Women's Wrestling 50 kg class. Despite the best efforts by the team through the night, she weighed in a few grams over 50 kg this morning. No further comments will be made by the contingent at this time. The Indian team requests you respect Vinesh's privacy. It would like to focus on the competitions on hand," the statement read.
In the wake of the disqualification, the film fraternity has sent heartfelt messages to Phogat, offering words of encouragement and consolation.
Actress Taapsee Pannu took to Instagram to express her support, writing, "This is heartbreaking but honestly this woman has already made her mark beyond gold by now! @vineshphogat."
Bhumi Pednekar also shared her sentiments on Instagram, stating, "You are and will always be a winner @vineshphogat Itni jaan aur himmat bahut kam mein hoti hai," highlighting Phogat's courage and strength.
Rakul Preet Singh, shared her feelings on Instagram Stories, simply noting, "Heartbreaking," accompanied by a broken heart emoticon.
Taking to her Instagram handle, Zoya Akhtar hailed Vinesh Phogat as a champion and sent an empowering message for her despite the setback. "
"Champion @vineshphogat You are gold! What you have achieved is beyond medals. So proud. So inspired," she wrote.
In a post on X, the Prime Minister also termed Vinesh a "champion among champions."
"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," the Prime Minister said.
As per sources, the Prime Minister spoke to Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha and sought firsthand information from PT Usha on the issue and the options India has in the wake of Vinesh's setback.
The Prime Minister asked the IOA President to explore the full range of options to help Vinesh's case.
He also urged PT Usha to file a strong protest regarding her disqualification if that helps Vinesh, the sources said.
As India grapples with this setback, the nation can continue to hope for medals from the athletics arena.
Avinash Sable is set to compete in the 3000 Metre Steeplechase final on Thursday, with the race starting at 1:13 AM Indian Standard Time (IST).
Sable qualified for the final after a strong performance in the preliminaries, finishing fifth at the Stade de France with a time of 8:15.43s.
Additionally, weightlifter Mirabai Chanu will compete in the Women's 49 KG category later tonight, and wrestler Antim Panghal will enter her Round of 16 bout in the Women's Freestyle 53 KG category later in the day.
So far, India has secured three medals at the Paris Olympics, all in shooting events.
