"LOVE and respect from the people are a thousand times more valuable than a gold medal," said Vinesh Phogat on receiving a grand and emotionally charged reception upon her return from Paris on August 17. It took more than 13 hours for her huge cavalcade of supporters to cover the hardly 120 km route from IGI Airport to her native village Balali in the Charkhi Dadri district of Haryana. Among the several organisations and individuals who greeted Vinesh were leaders from the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) and Janvadi Mahila Samiti (JMS). This unprecedented reception signifies and symbolizes the combined impact of the police repression during the Jantar Mantar struggle of women wrestlers against sexual abuse and the perceived foul play of her disqualification due to an excess of just 100 grams in weight before the final bout.

Even though Vinesh Phogat's appeal for a silver medal was dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Paris, some pertinent questions will continue to confront those at the helm of affairs in Indian sports administration.

People's anger over the discriminatory treatment she faced at every step leading up to Paris was sought to be diverted towards the appeal in CAS. Sending Advocate Harish Salve to plead for Vinesh was nothing more than a damage control exercise, attempting to dampen the intensifying criticism of the decision-makers' callous attitude towards her. Her shocking disqualification left her with a shattered dream of an Olympic gold. Nonetheless, the dismissal of her appeal has had little impact on the remarkable stature this brilliant sportswoman has attained.

How did the dramatic events following her disqualification at the Paris Olympics transform widespread public outrage across the country into unprecedented solidarity and empathy for Vinesh Phogat? The answer lies in the fact that Vinesh is not just another Olympian, nor was this just another lost gold medal for India. The public discourse so widely evoked following her exclusion has a specific context that warrants deeper analysis.

People’s anger also stems from the overall unsatisfactory handling of the disqualification issue by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), which further deepened suspicions of foul play in the entire tragic affair. Officials responsible for managing teams and individual athletes during competitions cannot evade their accountability, particularly in handling issues like the weight component of wrestlers. Some sports legal authorities believe that the decision to eliminate Vinesh based on the draconian rule concerning a mere 100-gram overweight should have been immediately challenged, with a demand for the final bout to be held. This responsibility lay with the legal team accompanying the Indian contingent, not with Vinesh herself.

It is indeed unfortunate that IOA president PT Usha has been so insensitive in trying to escape any responsibility and instead blaming everything on Vinesh herself and her coach. 

Let it be clear that all Olympians deserve public acclaim, especially the women’s contingent, and no one is a lesser asset to the country, regardless of whether they succeed in winning a medal or not. Yet, Vinesh Phogat was undoubtedly someone very special even before she qualified for the Paris Olympics. The mettle and courage she has displayed have only grown taller after the unfortunate disqualification in Paris.

It is important to ponder over the context that makes Vinesh Phogat so special and distinct.

Vinesh embodies an ongoing struggle against the persistent issue of sexual abuse faced by female sportswomen, not by outsiders, but by the very people entrusted with their guardianship during rigorous training sessions and tournaments.

She, along with her fellow medal-winning colleagues Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, displayed tremendous courage by risking their sports careers to expose the ugly faces of the perverted predators dominating the Wrestling Federation of India. The wrestlers directly confronted Brij Bhushan Singh, a politically powerful BJP Member of Parliament and then-president of the WFI, accusing him of attempting to sexually exploit female wrestlers with highly reprehensible actions.

Their unforgettable protest at Jantar Mantar garnered massive support from women's organizations, farmers' organisations, social platforms, and civil society groups across the country. The hypocrisy and true face of the ruling establishment were starkly exposed when an FIR by the Delhi police was filed only under the directions of the Supreme Court. Despite police brutality and political hostility, the agitation achieved significant success when the Delhi police were forced to file a chargesheet in court under relevant sections of the IPC pertaining to outraging the modesty of women and sexual abuse. This legal battle is unique in that the man who had the sportswomen dragged on the roads by the Delhi police has himself been made to stand in the dock to face trial. In the meantime, with the backing of the entire ruling BJP establishment, Brij Bhushan got another ally, Sanjay Singh, elected in his place and boasted of his invincible "dabdaba" (full domination) over the WFI, which was subsequently suspended.

However, the unprecedented successful struggle of the women wrestlers took its toll as well. Sakshi Malik, an Olympian and fellow traveller in the tough struggle for justice, had to retire from wrestling, while Vinesh continued to face near-hostile treatment at every step. Personal insinuations and disparaging invectives like "Khotta Sikka," meaning a worthless coin, were hurled at them in the public domain. Yet, Vinesh persevered on her path to Paris with determination and resilience. She finally qualified for the Paris Olympics and proved her prowess by defeating three accomplished wrestlers in a single day, including a thrilling victory over Yuvi Susaki, a Japanese world champion who had never been defeated before. Her claim for the gold medal was seen as a foregone conclusion. But the jubilation turned to despair when the heartbreaking news of her disqualification came, as she weighed just 100 grams over the 50-kilogram limit. 

 In this situation, people are understandably enraged and are raising pertinent questions that need to be satisfactorily answered. The people of Haryana will undoubtedly bring up these issues during the forthcoming assembly elections, questioning BJP leaders and candidates just as they did during the recent Lok Sabha elections regarding the unforgettable police excesses against farmers protesting the three farm laws. The accounts will be settled this time as well for everything that was perpetrated at Jantar Mantar on women wrestlers and the people supporting them in their quest for justice.

First, Vinesh Phogat publicly expressed her fears in April, right after qualifying for the Olympics, that she might be framed in some foul play, like doping, by the authorities as revenge for her leading role in the struggle against sexual abuse. She had complained about the authorities' failure to provide accreditation for her coaches and physiotherapists, but her concerns were ignored.

Second, it appears that Vinesh Phogat was not informed in advance about the 100-gram excess weight before she was required to report for official weighing.

Third, the public remarks of some BJP leaders, such as Kangana Ranaut, an MP, who insinuated that Vinesh had engaged in Modi-bashing during the Jantar Mantar protests, raise concerns. The lack of condemnation of these remarks from any senior party leader suggests a strong official bias against Vinesh.

Fourth, some people question the inordinate delay in the prime minister's message of congratulations for Vinesh's victories in three bouts, including the one against Susaki of Japan, when he has been quick to congratulate other athletes on their successes.

Fifth, it was very disgraceful for the sports minister to provide parliament with a detailed account of the money spent by the government on training Vinesh Phogat at a time when the nation was deeply saddened by her disqualification. The public expected the government to explain how the officials responsible for her physical fitness and other needs failed to closely monitor the critical aspect of her weight. Instead, the minister should have revealed the staggering amount of money spent on the construction of the new Parliament building, which still experienced roof leaks during rain!

Sixth, why were the suggestions of world-famous US wrestler Jordan Burroughs regarding immediate changes to the technical rules governing weight, in light of the shift in bout schedules from one day to two days, not taken seriously? His strong plea was based on scientific reasoning, emphasizing that the possibility of a wrestler's weight being exactly the same on two consecutive days is very remote. Further, it raises a simple question: what material advantage can a wrestler with just 100 grams more weight gain over their opponent in a bout?

Be that as it may, the game is not over, and many more bouts are still to come. Phogat may have lost a bout on technical points, but this is a long-drawn fight between a system that denies justice and the people determined to achieve it. The fight must be won because our constitution guarantees the right to equality.

Receiving massive support from all sections of the people during the huge reception along the route to her village, Vinesh said, “Although they did not give me a gold medal, the people here have given me that. The love and respect I have received are worth more than a thousand Olympic gold medals.”