Legendary India hockey player PR Sreejesh spoke out against the Olympic final disqualification of Vinesh Phogat. Vinesh created history by becoming the first-ever female wrestler to reach the final of the 2024 Olympics. Although the athlete secured silver ahead of her final match she had to back off due to being 100-gram overweight. Phogat has recently appealed for a joint silver at the Court of Arbitration for Sports, however, the verdict of her appeal is yet to be passed. As per the sources, the verdict supposedly comes on the 16th of August.
After the disappointing news, some consulted the wrestler while some protested against her disqualification by calling it injustice. Legendary India hockey player PR Sreejesh falls into that latter category. After winning bronze for the country the prominent goalkeeper said at an interaction with PTI how heartbroken he might have been had he fallen into Vinesh’s place. Let’s check out what he has said.
PR Sreejesh said Vinesh Phogat deserves a medal
Sreejesh told PTI, “There are two views, one being an athlete she deserves a medal, getting into the final, they snatched it from her, silver for sure. She was strong. If I was in her situation, I don’t what I would have done.”
He also recalled meeting the unfortunate athlete after their bronze win, noting”The next day before our bronze medal match I met her and she said ‘Bhai good luck, play well’. I felt like she was hiding her pain with that smile. She is a real fighter.”
The 36-year-old hockey sensation who won back-to-back Olympic bronze medals in his glorious 18-year-old career, also said of the case, “The second part is just different because you have Olympic rules and the Indian athletes know what is happening there and they should be ready for that. They shouldn’t give any chance to the federation, to the organising committee, to the International Olympic Committee (OC).”
He said, “So it should be a lesson for everyone. When you are prepared for that you have to be strict with rules and regulations,” he said.He cited the case of Amit Rohidas, who was banned for lifting the stick during the quarter-final against Great Britain where India played with 10 men for 42 minutes.
Taking on another example he continued, “Amit Rohidas in the quarterfinal is a case. The rule states that you can’t raise your stick to the backward direction, you can’t lift it that way because intentionally you are hitting someone and it’s a red card and what happened to us we played the semifinal with 15 players and we suffered. So the rules are made to make the game beautiful, controlled.”
As for now, like all of us, Sreejesh is hoping Vinesh might at least get the silver medal she deserves.
He added, “I am keeping my fingers crossed. Being an athlete, I just wish well for her. The way she worked hard, we know what she had been through last one year and from there she is coming back, qualifying for Olympics final, that is answer for all. I really felt bad for her, it’s a tough situation.”
Also Read: IOA President PT Usha Defends Its Medical Team Amid Vinesh Phogat Weight Controversy
