Former India captain Sourav Ganguly said that wrestler Vinesh Phogat deserves to get at least a silver medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 as well. He scripted history by becoming the first Indian female wrestler to qualify for an Olympic final as well. However, her hopes of winning the gold were shattered as she was disqualified before the final for being around 100g overweight in the 50kg category as well. However, Ganguly opined that Phogat should receive a silver medal, given that she was within the weight limit while reaching the final as well.

Speaking at a media interaction, Ganguly said (via PTI): “I don’t know the exact rule, but I’m sure that when she reached the finals, she must have qualified properly. So when you go to the finals, it’s either a Gold or Silver medal. Whether she was disqualified wrongfully or not, I don’t know, but she deserves the Silver medal at least.”

Notably, Vinesh Phogat had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport for a shared silver medal following her disqualification. The verdict is likely to be announced on August 13. Reacting to Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification from the Pairs Olympics wrestling final and her subsequent retirement from the sport, veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also shared his views.

The veteran spinner said in his YouTube video, “It is a very sad thing. Four years, eight years. It is meditation. It is a ritual for Olympic athletes. They have been there for so many years. She would have brought a medal back. She would have brought a lot of medals to our country. She has faced a lot of difficulties. Now, she has retired. It is highly heartbreaking for Vinesh Phogat.”