Paris Olympics: Vinesh’s ex-manager unhappy with coaching staff; wants ‘rethink’ on athlete management

Paris: Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification from the Women’s 50kg freestyle wrestling at the Paris Olympic Games should lead to a rethink of how athletes are managed by the federation and coaching staff, says her ex-manager and Olympian Manisha Malhotra.

Vinesh made history on Tuesday by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the final at the Olympics. But her redemption story following a disappointing performance in the Tokyo Olympics ended in heartbreak as she was disqualified from the competition as she was found overweight in the second weigh-in on the morning of the final. Vinesh was found 100 grams over the limit for 50 kg and thus ruled out the competition and placed last as per United World Wrestling rules.

Following the shocking news, Manisha Malhotra spoke to IANS and revealed she was not happy with the wrestler’s coaching staff and believed it is time to have a ‘rethink’ on how athletes are managed in the country.

“I am more disappointed than anybody, I think she was one of the favourites going in. She did not even put up a fight which is amazing to me. I think it all comes back to coaching, I am not happy with her coaching staff at all and this is when it comes back to bite you. We have been trying to talk about it but this is where it stands and honestly, I think we need to have a rethink about how we manage athletes,” Manisha told IANS.

Vinesh had defeated Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez 5-0 in the semifinal, but her disqualification has seen the Cuban get a second chance at a gold medal as she replaced the Indian wrestler in the women’s 50kg freestyle final.

Vinesh’s journey to the final was nothing short of remarkable and her disqualification has left the three-time Olympian ‘disheartened’, revealed Manisha.

“Vinesh is really disheartened; it’s been very sad, but it was not something anybody could have controlled. I am sure Vinesh’s team worked very hard to be able to get her prepared but maybe 500gm would have been a challenge, but she did it yesterday and maybe two days in a row was just too much for her,” she added.

As head of JSW Sports, Manisha Malhotra was Vinesh’s manager till a year or so back before the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) stepped in to prevent the wrestlers from signing contracts with private sports promotors and managers by claiming that it was interfering with the preparations of the national team.

–IANS