Rei Higuchi Offers Support to Vinesh Phogat Amid Olympic Disqualification: Appeals Awaited

Rei Higuchi Offers Support to Vinesh Phogat Amid Olympic Disqualification: Appeals Awaited

Vinesh Phogat is currently awaiting the verdict of her appeal with CAS for a joint silver medal. As she sails through this tough time, overwhelming support pours in for her from all around, including Japanese wrestler Rei Higuchi who expressed deep empathy for the Indian wrestling star.

Vinesh had been ruled out of Friday’s women’s freestyle 50kg event at the Paris Olympics for failing to make weight. Though she otherwise did quite convincingly to book a place in the final by defeating defending champion Yui Susaki, all was lost as Vinesh failed to weigh in at 50 kg on the day of her gold medal match—her chance to fight for gold taken away from her, along with that of an automatically guaranteed silver medal.

Heartbroken over the disqualification, Vinesh announced retirement from wrestling after taking extreme measures to shed excess weight overnight before her weigh-in.

Rei Higuchi, fresh from his victory in the men’s 57kg freestyle event at the Paris Olympics, revealed he went through a similar ordeal at the Tokyo Games when he was ruled out due to missing the weight limit by a mere 50 grams. Higuchi strongly identified with Vinesh’s plight and quipped on her retirement announcement on X (formerly Twitter), “I understand your pain the best. Same 50g.”

He went ahead and added some words of good cheer, saying, “Don’t worry about voices around you. Life goes on. Rising from setbacks is the most beautiful thing. Take a good rest.”

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He had the final bout won when Higuchi of Japan defeated Spencer Lee of the USA 4-2 to clinch gold.

The Indian Olympic Association, on the other hand, is certain of the verdict after the three-hour hearing by CAS. Vinesh has pleaded for a joint silver with Yusneylis Guzman Lopez and also claimed that she had not crossed the stipulated weight during her earlier bouts on Tuesday. The IOA issued a statement stating, “Since the matter is sub-judice, IOA can only state that all parties—the applicant Vinesh Phogat, the respondents United World Wrestling and the International Olympic Committee, and IOA as an interested party—have been heard at length by the Sole Arbitrator Dr. Annabelle Bennett AC SC (Australia) for over three hours.”

Appeal for Vinesh remains under review as wrestling fraternity and her well-wishers rally behind the girl.