Vinesh Phogat has retired from wrestling after being disqualified before the final match of the Paris Olympics. She was disqualified a few hours before the final match due to being overweight.
Vinesh Phogat wrestles in the 50 kg category. But when her weight was measured on Wednesday, it was found to be 100 grams more. According to the rules, the weight of any wrestler must be that much or less than the category in which he plays. If the weight is even one gram more, he is disqualified.
Indian Olympic team’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala said that they tried a lot, but could not lose even 100 grams of weight. He said that before the final match, Vinesh’s weight had increased by 2 kg. Even after working hard, Vinesh could not lose even 100 grams of weight.
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What did you do to lose weight?
Dr. Pardiwala told that Vinesh Phogat had three matches on Tuesday. Therefore, she had to be given some amount of water to prevent dehydration. Due to this, her weight increased more than normal.
The doctor said that after the semi-final match, Vinesh’s weight was 2.7 kg more than the prescribed limit. The coach started the normal process of weight reduction. Every possible effort was made, which included cutting hair and shortening clothes. Still, the weight could not reach the 50 kg weight category.
The medical team tried to reduce his weight overnight. He was made to do exercises all night. He did skipping. He did cycling. He also took sauna bath. He even cut his nails. But despite all the efforts, his weight remained 100 grams more.
Dr. Pardiwala said that if a few more hours were available, 100 grams of weight could have been reduced. Vinesh Phogat and Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha. (Photo-PTI)
How difficult is it to lose weight?
Generally, the weight of any person is not constant. It keeps fluctuating. It depends on eating, drinking, exercising and sweating. That is why the weight of the athlete is measured before the competition.
According to the rules of the Olympics, the weight of the wrestler is checked before the match. If the bout is fought for two days, then the weight is taken from the match on both days. On the first day, the weigh-in process lasts for half an hour, but on the second day only 15 minutes are given for this.
Athletes try many methods to lose weight. The most common method is to lose water weight through sweat. For this, athletes exercise hard, take sauna baths, wear heavy clothes, do not drink water. Sometimes they do not even eat food for a few hours before the weigh-in process.
Indian wrestler Ravi Dahiya had told in an interview in 2021 that the real challenge starts not on the day of the match, but a day before that. He had said, ‘You cannot even sleep. You cannot talk to anyone. Food and water are kept in front of you, but you cannot even touch it. This is a different feeling. Only a wrestler can tell how that day goes.’
Ravi Dahiya had said, ‘Sometimes a wrestler may feel dizzy and fall. Sometimes you get so tired that you don’t know what is going on around you. You don’t even remember to pick up your jacket because you are unable to focus. At such times, you feel the need of someone around you who can take care of you.’
How dangerous is all this?
There are many dangers in the methods that athletes adopt to reduce weight for a competition. While doing this, many times a heart attack occurs and sometimes death can also occur.
Sports like boxing and wrestling have a weigh-in process. In 2018, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) boxer Uripay Hall had a heart attack while cutting weight. Thankfully, he survived.
Similarly, Chinese boxer Yang Jian Bing died in 2015. Yang was 21 years old and was losing weight for the weigh-in process for the championship. During this time, he did not even drink water, due to which he got dehydrated and died.
It is estimated that 5 to 11 kg of water weighs the body. That is why athletes stop drinking water to reduce weight. They also shed as much water as possible through sweat. But experts believe that this can cause dehydration. This also affects the brain and increases the risk of heatstroke.
So why is it not banned?
It is very difficult for athletes to lose weight, but despite that it is not banned. However, after the death of Chinese boxer Yang Jian Bing in 2015, One Championship changed the rules. Now players are weighed several times a day. Also, urine tests are taken to check for dehydration.
Along with this, a rule has also been made that even if the weight is slightly more than the prescribed limit, the player is not disqualified. However, there is a limit to this as well. The weight of any player should be at least 105% of that of his opponent.
United World Wrestling (UWW), the body that makes rules for wrestling, clearly says that if the weight of the player is more than the prescribed limit, he will be disqualified.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)