'Weight Management Responsibility Of Athletes, Their Team': IOA President P T Usha Amid Vinesh Phogat Disqualification Case

While the verdict is awaited in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over Vinesh Phogat's appeal for a silver medal after disqualification from the Paris Olympics, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president P T Usha has given a statement.

Usha clarified the responsibility of weight management of athletes in sports like wrestling, weightlifting, boxing and judo is that of each athlete and their coach and not that of the IOA-appointed Chief Medical Officer (CMO).

This appears to be an effort to defend CMO Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala and his team as they were criticised vehemently after Phogat was disqualified over an overweight of 100 grams in the 50-kg-weight category of female wrestling.

"Each Indian athlete in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in such sport had his or her own support team. These support teams have been working with the athletes over so many years," Usha said contrasting with IOA's medical team, which was appointed a couple of months ago.

She added that this team's role is to assist in the recovery and injury management of athletes during and after their competition and was also designed to support athletes who did not have their own team of nutritionists and physiotherapists.

Meanwhile, the CAS is set to announce its verdict on 13 August after Phogat argued that due to the tight schedule of her bouts and distance between Athletes' Village and the competition arena, she could not cut her weight.