Japanese wrestler Rei Higuchi extended his support to Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat after she was disqualified from the 57kg category at the Paris Olympics on Friday. The 28-year-old wrestler, who himself was disqualified from the Tokyo Olympics for exceeding the weight limit by 50 grams, offered words of encouragement to Vinesh on social media.
Higuchi, who went on to win gold in Paris, expressed his understanding of Vinesh’s pain, having experienced a similar situation himself. He urged her to ignore the criticism and focus on rising above the setback. “I understand your pain the best. same 50g. Don’t worry about the voices around you. Life goes on. Rising from setbacks is the most beautiful thing. Take a good rest,” he wrote on Twitter.
Vinesh, who was disqualified for exceeding the weight limit by a little over 100 grams, was set to face USA’s Sarah Hilderbrandt in the final. However, Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who lost to Vinesh in the semifinals, took her place in the gold medal bout.
Following her disqualification, Vinesh and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for a joint-silver medal. The hearing for Vinesh’s appeal took place on Friday, with both her legal representatives and representatives of the United World Wrestling (UWW) presenting their arguments. While an interim order is yet to be issued, the IOA remains optimistic about Vinesh’s chances in the case.
The disqualification sparked debate among wrestling enthusiasts, with former wrestler and London Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs suggesting that the UWW should amend its rules to award Vinesh a silver medal.
Higuchi’s support for Vinesh highlights the camaraderie and understanding within the wrestling community. His words of encouragement, coupled with Vinesh’s appeal to CAS, offer hope for a positive outcome for the Indian wrestler, who has shown resilience and determination throughout her career.
