I know neither you nor Sharda Ugra volunteered for this, but for me (and Iām sure many others), you both are the defacto conscience keepers of Indian Sport. More power to you and your pen šš¼
An unbelievable 48-hour spell. The Antim Panghal case from last night was legit a kick in the already hurting teeth. Aside from the access-breach, I hope she isn't made the villain in the Vinesh commentary over the next few weeks.
Antim didn't exactly cover herself with glory last year TBH. When the protesting wrestlers were given direct entry into the Asiad (IIRC, will have to look up which competition it was), she went ballistic, demanding to know why there was no trial, and how about giving her a fair deal.
Then she got a direct entry, like I outlined above -- and when Vinesh wanted a trial she was all like, over my dead body.
I didn't put any of this in the main body because, firstly, the fault is not that of a young upcoming athlete who doesn't know any better, but of the sports authorities who provide no guidance, no mentorship, no support, nothing. And, like you just said, we don't need her vil
Absolutely. WFI/PT Usha's committee had to do better. I mean, in so many ways hah, but definitely in terms of sending their best athletes in the categories they're best suited. I guess Antim didn't want to let go of a sure-shot Olympics place, but that call and clarity had to come from higher up.
Yeah. I mean, there is no guarantee Vinesh would have won the selection trials -- at that time, she was something like two months out of surgery. The point though is, there should be fair trials. And a hell of a lot more of thought, effort, into the everyday affairs of the sporting ecosystem they are tasked, at taxpayer expense, to preside over.
A minority view- Vinesh was disqualified based on clear rules in place. We should therefore never have gone in appeal against the disqualification and accepted the decision gracefully. Millions of our countrymen are hoping for a favourable verdict which ironically can only come if the COA disregards the very rules governing the sport. And if that were to happen, it will then be a travesty of justice.
As regards her troubles with the WFI , she and her breathren are pitted against politicians who also happen to head sports bodies. That is where she deserves justice and is worth fighting for.
Actually, not a minority view. Or maybe we are both part of the same minority, because that is what I said in the post you are commenting on -- that silver for Vinesh is not on. If she couldn't make weight on the day of the final, then as per rules she can't fight the final, and that is that.
There are two things that should come from the CAS hearing -- neither of them silver. One is an answer to the question: If Vinesh fought fair on day one and secured three wins, how is she number 8 in a field of 8 because she didn't make weight on day 2? How do the incidents of day 2 impact on her performance on day one?
Two: a larger challenge to the rules itself. Scientific evidence that wrestlers dropping weight suddenly is a health hazard is available in plenty. What is more, the UWW took cognisance of that evidence, and in some of the events it runs, it allows for a 2kg tolerance on day two. Why is that not part of the rules here? Equally, the weigh in on day one has a grace time of 30 minutes, to allow athletes an opportunity to make weight if they are marginally over. Why on day two -- when it is even more problematic -- is that time reduced to 15 minutes?
There are other questions on how the rules are applied, and that brings up the overall point: The adrenalin-fuelled media might be focussed on a silver, but often, apparent injustices and the challenge to such is not for immediate gain, but for a longer term solution. Questioning what is patently a problematic rule leads to reform, which may not benefit Vinesh but will benefit the sport, and at least in my mind, that is the real win here if it happens.
The fight against WFI is not a matter for discussion at this point, because that is back home. In any case, what WFI? There isn't any -- the body has been suspended by the Indian sports ministry. The battle you are thinking of is the one against Brij Bhushan, and that is no longer Vinesh's to fight -- it is in the courts now.
One can look at the rules from any angle.As long as she was winning, the rules were never an issue.
If the rules lacked scientific basis, it should have been questioned when it was introduced itself. Not when it hurts you. Or least accept the decision gracefully and after the Olympics comes to an end take it up with the governing body.
Fair enough, you are entitled to your point of view.
There is this, though: The rule HAS in fact been questioned in wrestling circles. It is just that it never became a live issue, merely subject for backstage discussions. The UWW actually listened, and in several competitions it runs, there is a two kg tolerance limit for day two -- why? Because the backstage discussions pointed to the health issues.
Then the thing with Vinesh happened -- and it is now a live issue with a real face.
That is how rules work -- and not just in sport either. A rule is introduced; it possibly has a flaw, but it is the rule. Then a victim of that flaw takes the rule itself to court, and this forces a discussion and, possibly, correction. Check out cases in the Supreme Courts across the world -- a lot of them challenge existing rules, and these challenges are brought by victims.
In this same Olympics, there have been two cases where athletes were disqualified; the concerned nations protested, and both disqualifications were overturned. In your model, they would have "gracefully" accepted what the overturning indicates was injustice, no?
This can go round and round but as I said at the outset, you have your way of looking at it, I respect that; I have a different view, and that is ok too. Cheers
Three days ago, when the disqualification happened, the narrative was all about "oh, just for 100 grams" and "how unfair". True, but as your and the Indian Express piece shows, the 100 grams is a crack in the dam. The issue runs deep. It is systemic. Sports administration in our country is a means to wield power. No wonder our athletes are pawns in that power play.
There's a bigger game overshadowing the games our athletes are hoping to excel at, and Vinesh's story suggests that when sportspersons come into conflict with that power play, there can only be one winner. It doesn't help that the career of a professional athlete (and window of opportunity) is orders of magnitude shorter than the runtime of political games.
I thought wrestling was all about winning against the opponent across you on the mat. Vinesh won that surely and fairly. But she also had to win against her country's sports administration. She fought and lost that battle.
At various times in the past two years, as many as four national sports associations have been banned by the respective international governing bodies for not conducting free and fair elections. Why are elections not free and fair? Because they are manipulated by political parties to put their cronies in power (Brij Bhushan served as WFI president for multiple terms why? Because he has political power in one part of UP, and the BJP needs the clout that local strongman brings.)
Nandan Kamath's book Boundary Lab, on sports and law, makes the point about the ladder of achievement. The base of the pyramid is unorganised sport played by all of us; the next layer is organised and structured sport played in our schools and colleges (in a land where a large number of schools don't even have proper classrooms for christ's sake), then the next step of talent bubbling up through the district and state levels, to the national level and then the international level. All of which means that you have to focus your attention and resources at the base of the pyramid -- facilities to play, scouts to spot talent, a system to develop that talent and to monitor it as it bubbles up through the ranks...
A country that wakes up to sport once in four years -- while being oblivious to the disorganisation, the corruption, that is endemic -- has no business dreaming of Olympic glory. Harsh, I know, but that happens to be true.
What a massive boo-boo on so many fronts. Keeping the venal politics & the disgusting misogyny on the side for a moment, it's the obvious vindictiveness on the part of the IOC & the sports that is galling...
Also a total Modi flunkey has replaced a cocky dork as sports minister, what else can one expect from these clowns.
Were it not for the tragic consequences for an incredible fighter's career and the nation's reputation, this would be a total comedy of errors.
All thinking Indians should he livid with the Modi govt about this shameful turn of events.
Not to mention, there is much more to the story -- and the propaganda now being pedalled. I wanted to keep the piece tight focussed, so didn't go into dark side alleys, but yeah, if you could ask AI to come up with a template for how clueless administrators, venal politicians, rapacious private individuals/organisations and a general public that can't remember that happened five minutes ago can combine to totally screw up a sport and destroy lives, AI's response would be "What, you never heard of WFI?"
As for thinking Indians -- months ago I went through court records and wrote about how Sakshi's affidavit clearly states that she met Modi in August 2021 -- August 2021, note, not 2023 -- and told him about what was going on and he promised action.
For all the reaction that piece got, I might as well not have bothered.
Sometimes, things make me physically ill, sorry for the rant
Totally, absolutely, undoubtedly agree. Searing writing. Achingly goodm The seeds of what now seems an inevitable fall, were planted then when they rose up in arms. It was a red flag. Those AI generated smiling faces in the police van, those tears, those arms and legs being mercilessly pulled, those agonising announcements. We deserve what and who we get! These athletes pay a heavy price for our misdeeds. Vinesh Phogat will go down in the annals of sport history as a Warrior. But the malfeasance, the sheer unbridled patriarchal need and greed for power and pelf by those who we elect to govern us? Sheesh! We deserve what and who we get because we don't learn, we don't want to learn and I think this brings to light the utter moral depradation of society. Across all sectors, classes and castes oh and religions. Yes, we are gutted, but nothing will get us out on the streets. The young the restless might. But even that spirit has been somewhat robbed after JNU and CAA. I despair. I feel hopeless, helpless and shaking with rage. For all the Vinesh's who dare to fight the good fight the system ultimately pushes you on the mat. Game over.
What a bloody mess! (I don't know if stronger terms will be allowed by the site!)
As Sainath says, we look at events and wonder, but there are (botched up) processes that yield these results as events, and these are the processes that got us these terrible results. As the other commenter pointed out thanks to the likes of you, Sharda Ugra and Shashank Naik for doing this!
The problem with the age we live in is that events -- real, and manufactured -- come so thick and fast and the noise is so all-pervasive that in the din of today we forget what happened last week.
The seeds of what happened with Vinesh were sown at least as far back as early 2021 when the wrestlers first complained about Brij Bhushan; or August 2021 when, according to Sakshi Malik's affidavit in court, she met PM Modi at his insistence, told him about the rampant sexual abuse, and he promised that action would be taken.
I know neither you nor Sharda Ugra volunteered for this, but for me (and Iām sure many others), you both are the defacto conscience keepers of Indian Sport. More power to you and your pen šš¼
And how I wish Indian sport would keep its own conscience, instead of miring us fans repeatedly in muck. I mean, how many such dunkings can we take?
Thank you -- this makes the effort worth the while. Be well
An unbelievable 48-hour spell. The Antim Panghal case from last night was legit a kick in the already hurting teeth. Aside from the access-breach, I hope she isn't made the villain in the Vinesh commentary over the next few weeks.
Antim didn't exactly cover herself with glory last year TBH. When the protesting wrestlers were given direct entry into the Asiad (IIRC, will have to look up which competition it was), she went ballistic, demanding to know why there was no trial, and how about giving her a fair deal.
Then she got a direct entry, like I outlined above -- and when Vinesh wanted a trial she was all like, over my dead body.
I didn't put any of this in the main body because, firstly, the fault is not that of a young upcoming athlete who doesn't know any better, but of the sports authorities who provide no guidance, no mentorship, no support, nothing. And, like you just said, we don't need her vil
vilified.
Absolutely. WFI/PT Usha's committee had to do better. I mean, in so many ways hah, but definitely in terms of sending their best athletes in the categories they're best suited. I guess Antim didn't want to let go of a sure-shot Olympics place, but that call and clarity had to come from higher up.
Yeah. I mean, there is no guarantee Vinesh would have won the selection trials -- at that time, she was something like two months out of surgery. The point though is, there should be fair trials. And a hell of a lot more of thought, effort, into the everyday affairs of the sporting ecosystem they are tasked, at taxpayer expense, to preside over.
A minority view- Vinesh was disqualified based on clear rules in place. We should therefore never have gone in appeal against the disqualification and accepted the decision gracefully. Millions of our countrymen are hoping for a favourable verdict which ironically can only come if the COA disregards the very rules governing the sport. And if that were to happen, it will then be a travesty of justice.
As regards her troubles with the WFI , she and her breathren are pitted against politicians who also happen to head sports bodies. That is where she deserves justice and is worth fighting for.
Actually, not a minority view. Or maybe we are both part of the same minority, because that is what I said in the post you are commenting on -- that silver for Vinesh is not on. If she couldn't make weight on the day of the final, then as per rules she can't fight the final, and that is that.
There are two things that should come from the CAS hearing -- neither of them silver. One is an answer to the question: If Vinesh fought fair on day one and secured three wins, how is she number 8 in a field of 8 because she didn't make weight on day 2? How do the incidents of day 2 impact on her performance on day one?
Two: a larger challenge to the rules itself. Scientific evidence that wrestlers dropping weight suddenly is a health hazard is available in plenty. What is more, the UWW took cognisance of that evidence, and in some of the events it runs, it allows for a 2kg tolerance on day two. Why is that not part of the rules here? Equally, the weigh in on day one has a grace time of 30 minutes, to allow athletes an opportunity to make weight if they are marginally over. Why on day two -- when it is even more problematic -- is that time reduced to 15 minutes?
There are other questions on how the rules are applied, and that brings up the overall point: The adrenalin-fuelled media might be focussed on a silver, but often, apparent injustices and the challenge to such is not for immediate gain, but for a longer term solution. Questioning what is patently a problematic rule leads to reform, which may not benefit Vinesh but will benefit the sport, and at least in my mind, that is the real win here if it happens.
The fight against WFI is not a matter for discussion at this point, because that is back home. In any case, what WFI? There isn't any -- the body has been suspended by the Indian sports ministry. The battle you are thinking of is the one against Brij Bhushan, and that is no longer Vinesh's to fight -- it is in the courts now.
One can look at the rules from any angle.As long as she was winning, the rules were never an issue.
If the rules lacked scientific basis, it should have been questioned when it was introduced itself. Not when it hurts you. Or least accept the decision gracefully and after the Olympics comes to an end take it up with the governing body.
All this sense a wrong message, atleast to me
Fair enough, you are entitled to your point of view.
There is this, though: The rule HAS in fact been questioned in wrestling circles. It is just that it never became a live issue, merely subject for backstage discussions. The UWW actually listened, and in several competitions it runs, there is a two kg tolerance limit for day two -- why? Because the backstage discussions pointed to the health issues.
Then the thing with Vinesh happened -- and it is now a live issue with a real face.
That is how rules work -- and not just in sport either. A rule is introduced; it possibly has a flaw, but it is the rule. Then a victim of that flaw takes the rule itself to court, and this forces a discussion and, possibly, correction. Check out cases in the Supreme Courts across the world -- a lot of them challenge existing rules, and these challenges are brought by victims.
In this same Olympics, there have been two cases where athletes were disqualified; the concerned nations protested, and both disqualifications were overturned. In your model, they would have "gracefully" accepted what the overturning indicates was injustice, no?
This can go round and round but as I said at the outset, you have your way of looking at it, I respect that; I have a different view, and that is ok too. Cheers
Three days ago, when the disqualification happened, the narrative was all about "oh, just for 100 grams" and "how unfair". True, but as your and the Indian Express piece shows, the 100 grams is a crack in the dam. The issue runs deep. It is systemic. Sports administration in our country is a means to wield power. No wonder our athletes are pawns in that power play.
There's a bigger game overshadowing the games our athletes are hoping to excel at, and Vinesh's story suggests that when sportspersons come into conflict with that power play, there can only be one winner. It doesn't help that the career of a professional athlete (and window of opportunity) is orders of magnitude shorter than the runtime of political games.
I thought wrestling was all about winning against the opponent across you on the mat. Vinesh won that surely and fairly. But she also had to win against her country's sports administration. She fought and lost that battle.
At various times in the past two years, as many as four national sports associations have been banned by the respective international governing bodies for not conducting free and fair elections. Why are elections not free and fair? Because they are manipulated by political parties to put their cronies in power (Brij Bhushan served as WFI president for multiple terms why? Because he has political power in one part of UP, and the BJP needs the clout that local strongman brings.)
Nandan Kamath's book Boundary Lab, on sports and law, makes the point about the ladder of achievement. The base of the pyramid is unorganised sport played by all of us; the next layer is organised and structured sport played in our schools and colleges (in a land where a large number of schools don't even have proper classrooms for christ's sake), then the next step of talent bubbling up through the district and state levels, to the national level and then the international level. All of which means that you have to focus your attention and resources at the base of the pyramid -- facilities to play, scouts to spot talent, a system to develop that talent and to monitor it as it bubbles up through the ranks...
A country that wakes up to sport once in four years -- while being oblivious to the disorganisation, the corruption, that is endemic -- has no business dreaming of Olympic glory. Harsh, I know, but that happens to be true.
True that. Hope is our Olympic strategy.
What a massive boo-boo on so many fronts. Keeping the venal politics & the disgusting misogyny on the side for a moment, it's the obvious vindictiveness on the part of the IOC & the sports that is galling...
Also a total Modi flunkey has replaced a cocky dork as sports minister, what else can one expect from these clowns.
Were it not for the tragic consequences for an incredible fighter's career and the nation's reputation, this would be a total comedy of errors.
All thinking Indians should he livid with the Modi govt about this shameful turn of events.
Not to mention, there is much more to the story -- and the propaganda now being pedalled. I wanted to keep the piece tight focussed, so didn't go into dark side alleys, but yeah, if you could ask AI to come up with a template for how clueless administrators, venal politicians, rapacious private individuals/organisations and a general public that can't remember that happened five minutes ago can combine to totally screw up a sport and destroy lives, AI's response would be "What, you never heard of WFI?"
As for thinking Indians -- months ago I went through court records and wrote about how Sakshi's affidavit clearly states that she met Modi in August 2021 -- August 2021, note, not 2023 -- and told him about what was going on and he promised action.
For all the reaction that piece got, I might as well not have bothered.
Sometimes, things make me physically ill, sorry for the rant
Totally, absolutely, undoubtedly agree. Searing writing. Achingly goodm The seeds of what now seems an inevitable fall, were planted then when they rose up in arms. It was a red flag. Those AI generated smiling faces in the police van, those tears, those arms and legs being mercilessly pulled, those agonising announcements. We deserve what and who we get! These athletes pay a heavy price for our misdeeds. Vinesh Phogat will go down in the annals of sport history as a Warrior. But the malfeasance, the sheer unbridled patriarchal need and greed for power and pelf by those who we elect to govern us? Sheesh! We deserve what and who we get because we don't learn, we don't want to learn and I think this brings to light the utter moral depradation of society. Across all sectors, classes and castes oh and religions. Yes, we are gutted, but nothing will get us out on the streets. The young the restless might. But even that spirit has been somewhat robbed after JNU and CAA. I despair. I feel hopeless, helpless and shaking with rage. For all the Vinesh's who dare to fight the good fight the system ultimately pushes you on the mat. Game over.
What a bloody mess! (I don't know if stronger terms will be allowed by the site!)
As Sainath says, we look at events and wonder, but there are (botched up) processes that yield these results as events, and these are the processes that got us these terrible results. As the other commenter pointed out thanks to the likes of you, Sharda Ugra and Shashank Naik for doing this!
The problem with the age we live in is that events -- real, and manufactured -- come so thick and fast and the noise is so all-pervasive that in the din of today we forget what happened last week.
The seeds of what happened with Vinesh were sown at least as far back as early 2021 when the wrestlers first complained about Brij Bhushan; or August 2021 when, according to Sakshi Malik's affidavit in court, she met PM Modi at his insistence, told him about the rampant sexual abuse, and he promised that action would be taken.
Who can, or does, remember that far back, though?