Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat (left) competes with Cuban athlete Yusneylys Guzmán on August 6 in the Women's Freestyle 50kg semi-final wrestling match of the Paris Olympics. Photo: Xinhua

Vinesh Phogat, the first Indian female wrestler to qualify for the Olympic final, unfortunately had to leave Paris because she did not meet the weight requirements for the competition. Many Chinese netizens have expressed sympathy for her situation.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Wednesday filed a strong protest with United World Wrestling (UWW) regarding the disqualification of Phogat from the 50kg final at the Paris Olympics due to being "overweight," Xinhua News Agency reported.

Vinesh Phogat is the niece of Mahavir Singh Phogat, the real-life figure portrayed in the popular Indian film Dangal, which was widely acclaimed in China.

Dangal is based on the true story of Mahavir Phogat, a renowned wrestler who trained his two daughters to become wrestling champions. The film moved countless audiences in China.

Mahavir Phogat, known as the "Father of Indian Women's Wrestling," is the father of famous wrestlers Babita and Geeta Phogat.

Vinesh Phogat, also trained by Mahavir, has achieved remarkable success in international wrestling, including winning medals at the Commonwealth Games.

However, Vinesh faced issues with the weight check before Wednesday's match. Despite the efforts of her coach, who worked through the night to help her shed weight - including cutting her hair - she still weighed 110 grams over the limit and was disqualified from the final.

If Vinesh had claimed an injury before the morning weigh-in, she might have been awarded a silver medal without having to weigh in. Her failure to make weight meant she ended up with nothing.

Her coach stated on social media that she usually weighs 57 kg, but before the semifinals yesterday, she weighed only 49.9 kg. After eating, her weight increased to 52.7 kg. Despite their best efforts - skipping sleep, not drinking water, and even cutting her hair - they were unable to make the required weight.

Upon hearing the news, Chinese netizens left comments on various social media platforms.

A netizen with the username SportsDreamer said, "Vinesh put in tremendous effort for this competition, and the weight issue is truly unfortunate. Regardless, her spirit and perseverance are admirable."

A netizen named Zhang Jiawei commented, "Dangal is my favorite movie, and it has always inspired me. Vinesh's story is equally uplifting. I hope she can make it back to the Olympic stage."

Global Times