Vinesh Phogat comes out in support of Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala amid backlash: 'His belief got me back on my feet'

Vinesh Phogat comes out in support of Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala amid backlash

Vinesh Phogat finally broke her silence on the recent turn of events involving her at the Paris Olympics on Friday evening. The wrestler, who was assured of a silver medal in the women's 50kg freestyle wrestling competition, was disqualified on the morning of her final bout, leaving her completely shattered. She, however, appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for a joint silver but her petition was dismissed by the Ad Hoc division of the CAS in Paris two days earlier.

On Friday, Vinesh shared a three page emotional statement on Instagram describing her ordeal and mentioning how "most good and some bad" figures have shaped her into what she is. In the statement, Vinesh also thanked Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala - the chief medical officer of the Indian contingent at the Paris Olympics.

Vinesh was disqualified from the Olympics for failing to meet her weight cut, which was 100 grams over the eligibility mark during the second weigh-in. This led to backlash from several corners against Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and their medical team, especially Dr Pardiwala. He along with PT Usha had released a video together on the day of Vinesh's disqualification, explaining the situation. Such was the backlash that IOA president PT Usha was forced to issue a strong statement to the critics.

Meanwhile, Vinesh made things more clear for the public and hailed Dr Pardiwala's efforts in redirecting her career post injuries. “Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala. This is not a new name in Indian sports. For me, and I think for many other Indian athletes, he is not just a doctor but an angel in disguise sent by god. When I had stopped believing in myself after facing injuries, it was his belief, work and faith in me that got me back on my feet again,” Vinesh wrote in her letter.

This was the third Olympics for Vinesh, having made her debut in Rio back in 2016. Then the wrestler had endured an injury while in action against China’s Sun Yunan during her quarterfinal bout. The extent was such that she had to be stretchered off the venue and it was Dr Pardiwala, who then operated her ACL and helped her bounce back to the mat.

“Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala has operated on me not once but thrice (both knees and one elbow) and has shown me how resilient the human body can be. His dedication, kindness and honesty towards his work and towards Indian Sports is something no one will doubt including God. I’m forever grateful to him and his entire team for their work and dedication. As a part of the Indian contingent, having him present at the Paris Olympics was a god’s gift for all fellow athletes,” Vinesh further wrote in her letter.