Gulshan Devaiah deems Vinesh Phogat’s plea for a silver medal at Paris Olympics 2024 as ‘unjust’, but ultimately decides to acknowledge and move forward
Gulshan Devaiah has responded to Vinesh Phogat’s request to be awarded a joint silver medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 if she is unable to compete for the gold medal. The Ulajh actor has expressed his opinion that it is unfair to other athletes who were disqualified under similar circumstances.
The news of Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification from the Paris Olympics 2024 has been circulating on the internet since Wednesday. In the meantime, Bollywood actor Gulshan Devaiah took to his social media platforms and shared a mixed reaction regarding awarding her a silver medal.
He mentioned, “Emotionally I hope an appeal is accepted & Vinesh is awarded the Silver but I also feel it’s unfair on every other athlete who’s been disqualified earlier under the same circumstances. I’m choosing to accept it and move on but it’s not really about how I feel. This must be unimaginably devastating for Vinesh & her team.”
“As a fellow Indian, I say thank you champ!!! Be Well (accompanied by raised hand emoji) VandeMataram (accompanied by folded hand emojis),” he added.
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For those unaware, following her disqualification from the Paris Olympics 2024, Vinesh Phogat appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for permission to compete for the gold medal. If that request is not granted, she has asked to be awarded a joint silver medal. CAS is expected to provide an interim ruling on Thursday, with the possibility of overturning the original decision.
Meanwhile, actor-turned-politician Hema Malini also commented on the decision, suggesting to keep one’s weight in check. In her first media interaction outside the Parliament, the actress-turned-politician on Wednesday called it “surprising” and “strange” that Phogat was disqualified for being 100 grams overweight.
“It is important to maintain your weight! This should be a good lesson for all artists, women, everyone… that 100 grams also matters a lot! We feel very sad for her. I hope she loses those 100 grams quickly but she won’t get another chance,” she said.
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