Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha responded to the criticism aimed at the IOA medical team, particularly Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala, by stating that in sports like wrestling, weightlifting, boxing, and judo, it is the athlete’s responsibility to manage their weight.
Usha’s remarks follow the controversy surrounding Vinesh Phogat, who was disqualified from her gold-medal match in the women’s 50kg freestyle category at the Paris Olympics for being 100 grams overweight during the morning weigh-in. Vinesh, who became the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final last Tuesday, was devastated by the disqualification and announced her retirement the next day. The incident led to a blame game in India, with some members of Parliament accusing Dr. Pardiwala and his team of negligence, while former IOA Chief Narendra Batra suggested Vinesh’s diet might have contributed to the disqualification.
In a statement, Usha emphasized, “The responsibility of weight management in sports like wrestling, weightlifting, boxing, and judo lies with the athletes and their coaches, not with the IOA-appointed Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala and his team. The criticism directed at the IOA medical team, especially Dr. Pardiwala, is unjustified and deserves condemnation.”
Usha further clarified that most athletes have their own support staff, and the IOA’s medical team, established just a few months before the Paris Games, was intended to assist athletes with recovery and injury management.
“Each Indian athlete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in these sports had their own support teams, which have been working with them for many years,” Usha explained. “The IOA appointed a medical team a few months ago to aid in the recovery and injury management of athletes during and after their competitions. This team was also there to support athletes who didn’t have their own nutritionists and physiotherapists.”
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is expected to announce its final verdict on Vinesh Phogat’s appeal for a joint silver medal on August 13.