Tears of joy quickly turned into tears of sadness by Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the Paris Olympics 2024. After Bollywood extended their congratulatory wishes to her, several celebs expressed their support for Phogat. Among many celebs actress turned politician, BJP MP Hema Malini too expressed her opinion on the subject. However, her comment was not well-received by netizens who later slammed Malini on Twitter.
On Tuesday she became the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the Olympic final however on Wednesday the news has it that she had been disqualified for not meeting the desired weight. She was recorded a few grams over 50kg leading to her move out from the finals. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) confirmed that Phogat failed to make weight for the women's 50kg freestyle final, where she was set to compete against Sarah Hildebrandt of the United States.
IOA statement read, "It is with regret that the Indian contingent shares news of the disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from the women's wrestling 50kg class. Despite the best efforts by the team through the night, she weighed in a few grams over 50kg this morning."
Hema Malini was recorded giving a statement outside Parliament. She said, "It is very surprising, and it feels strange that she was disqualified for being 100 gm overweight. It is important to keep the weight in check. It is a lesson for all of us. I wish she could lose that 100 gm quickly, but she won't get it now."
Hema Malini’s comment for Vinesh Phogaat triggered netizens calling it insensitive and disgraceful. One wrote, "Look at her smiling face while making such disgraceful remarks," while another tweeted, "Trust Hema Malini to say the most ludicrous and random things at all times...." Someone said "She is laughing at the agony of a worthy champion."
Talking about Vinesh Phogat, she won the semi-finals with a score of 5-0 over Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez in Paris. At the end of the first period she was leading 1-0 and in the second period she extended her dominance with four more points to seal the bout in her favour.
