Coach feared for Vinesh Phogat’s life during extreme weight cut before Olympic final: Report
New Delhi: Vinesh Phogat’s coach, Woller Akos, has revealed that he had concerns over her health during the weight-cutting process before the 50kg freestyle final at the Paris Olympics. According to The Indian Express, Akos posted on Facebook, later deleting it, that he feared for Phogat’s life as she attempted to cut the last few grams for the weigh-in, where she eventually missed the mark by 100 grams, resulting in disqualification.
The post, originally written in Hungarian, described how Phogat had 2.7 kilograms to lose after the semi-final. Despite over an hour of exercise and 50 minutes in the sauna, 1.5 kilograms remained. Phogat worked through the night on cardio machines and wrestling drills, but collapsed at one point. She eventually recovered and continued her efforts in the sauna.
After being hospitalised and later discharged, Phogat reflected on the experience with her coach, stating, "Coach, don’t be sad. I achieved my goal; I proved I am one of the best in the world. Medals and podiums are just objects, but performance cannot be taken away."
Despite missing out on a medal, Phogat took pride in her performance, particularly in defeating Japan's top wrestler, Yui Susaki.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
