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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Chamoli hydropower tunnel train collision: 88 injured, magisterial probe ordered
Gopeshwar/Dehradun (PTI): Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar on Wednesday ordered a magisterial inquiry into the collision between two loco trains inside the Pipalkoti tunnel of the under-construction Vishnugad-Pipalkoti hydropower project, which left 88 people injured.
Earlier in the day, Kumar said that the accident occurred around 8.30 pm on Tuesday at the TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) site inside the tunnel being built by THDC (India).
A loco train carrying workers for tunnel excavation during the night shift was about two kilometres inside the tunnel when another loco train coming from the opposite direction lost control and collided with it.
One of the trains had workers and officials on board, while the other carried material.
Upon receiving information about the collision, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered proper treatment for the injured. He spoke to the DM over the phone and instructed him to ensure that all the injured receive the best possible medical facilities.
DM Kumar and Superintendent of Police Surjit Singh Panwar met the injured at the Gopeshwar District Hospital.
Kumar said 109 people were on board the loco train at the time of the accident, most of them labourers. None of the injured was serious, he said.
He said that 88 of them were injured, although none of them are in serious condition. They said that 84 workers were discharged after receiving first aid, while four are still hospitalized.
DM Kumar and SP Panwar also inspected the project site and sought detailed information about the incident from the project officials.
They instructed them to strictly implement all necessary safety standards to prevent a recurrence of such an incident in the future.
After inspection, the DM issued orders for a magisterial inquiry into the accident caused by the collision of the loco trains.
Meanwhile, the Railways said the trains involved in the collision had no connection with it.
"It is clarified that this unfortunate incident occurred in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, involving a trolley used in the local transportation system during the construction of a hydroelectric project tunnel. The train referred to in the news reports is not an Indian Railways train, but a transportation system being used locally by the project team," the government entity said in a statement.
According to officials, rail-like vehicles are used to transport workers, employees, and materials for construction work inside the tunnel.
The project, being built between Helang and Pipalkoti on the Alaknanda River, will generate 444 megawatts of electricity through four turbines. The project is targeted for completion by next year.
