Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha said that it is the responsibility of the athlete to manage their weight and the attack on its medical team, especially Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala is "unacceptable and worthy of condemnation."
A heartbreaking disqualification shattered 29-year-old Vinesh's Olympic dream. Just 100 grams overweight at the morning weigh-in, she was barred from the gold medal bout in freestyle 50kg wrestling. The crushing defeat prompted the athlete to announce her retirement.
The incident sparked a firestorm of controversy, with fingers pointed in all directions. Dr. Pardiwala and his team faced intense criticism for alleged negligence, while former IOA chief Narendra Batra suggested Vinesh's diet might have contributed to the disqualification. The issue even escalated to Parliament, igniting heated debates.
"...the responsibility of weight management of athletes in sport like wrestling, weightlifting, boxing and judo is that of each athlete and his or her coach and NOT that of the IOA-appointed Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala and his team," Usha said in a statement.
"...the hate directed at the IOA medical team, especially Dr. Pardiwala, is unacceptable and worthy of condemnation."
She hoped that those rushing to judge the IOA medical team "would consider all facts before arriving at any conclusions".
Vinesh had etched her name in history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the gold medal bout in her category. However, a shocking turn of events unfolded when she was found to be 100 grams overweight during the morning weigh-in, despite drastic measures including cutting her hair. This disqualification shattered her Olympic dream.
"Each Indian athlete in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in such sport had his or her own support team. These support teams have been working with the athletes over so many years," Usha said.
"The IOA appointed a medical team a couple of months ago, primarily as a team that would assist in the recovery and injury management of athletes during and after their competition. This team was also designed to support athletes who did not have their own team of nutritionists and physiotherapists."
Vinesh has challenged her disqualification by appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS). She is seeking a joint silver medal with Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who was originally defeated by Vinesh but advanced to the final after the Indian's disqualification.
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