DigitEye India Fact Checkers
As 2024 Paris Olympics reached peak with many eyes on Indian woman wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s successful bouts to reach finals made headlines August 6, 2024. But the next morning came a shocking news that she was disqualified from participating in the final due to overweight.
Vinesh Phogat was in a weight category of 50 kg. The IOA stated officially that Vinesh Phogat was “just over” her weight category of 50 kgs without giving more details.
She was 2.1 kg overweight.
2 Kg was the permissible limit.
Vinesh was overweight by 2kg+100gms.— Rishi Bagree (@rishibagree) August 7, 2024
The claim says, “She was 2.1 kg overweight. 2 Kg was the permissible limit. Vinesh was overweight by 2kg+100gms.”
The initial social media posts started making the rounds stating that Vinesh Phogat weighed 2.1 kg more than the 50-kg limit, hence disqualified.
FACT-CHECK
An official statement by the Indian Olympics Association (IOA) mentions that the wrestler “weighed in a few grams over 50kg,” which led to hger disqualification. In a post on X, the IOA said, ” 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.”
🚨 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. No further comments will be made…
— Team India (@WeAreTeamIndia) August 7, 2024
Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, the Chief Medical Officer of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), explained Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s weight issue that led to her disqualification in a statement. In this statement, para 4 says, ““However, Vinesh was found to be 100 grams over her 50kg weight category, and hence, she was disqualified. All possible drastic measures, including cutting off her hair, were used. However, she was not below her allowed weight of 50kg.”
Further, the Union Minister of SportS said the same in his statement in Parliament as seen below:
#WATCH | Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya speaks on the issue of disqualification of Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat from #ParisOlympics2024
He says, “…Today her weight was found 50 kg 100 grams and she was disqualified. The Indian Olympic Association has lodged a strong… pic.twitter.com/7VkjoQQyIM
— ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2024
Hence, the claim that Vinesh Phogat weighed 2.1 kg more than 50-kg limit was unfounded and false.
Claim: Indian woman wrestler Vinesh Phogat weighed 2.1 kg more than the limit, so disqualified in Olympics final.
Conclusion: Misleading. Vinesh Phogat weighed just 100 grams more than the 50-kg limit in her weight category and hence, disqualified.
Rating: Misleading — 
