Controversies that overshadowed India’s campaign at the Paris Olympics

The 2024 Paris Olympics concluded with India finishing 71st in the overall medal tally, securing one silver and five bronze medals, which placed them one spot below their performance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

While the Indian athletes stretched every muscle in their body to secure a medal, a podium finish eluded several.

For some, the near-miss and the ignominious defeat came laced with controversy, and for others, navigating the games itself proved cumbersome.

Here are just some of the incidents that stirred headlines owing to their controversial nature.

Vinesh Phogat's disqualification

Controversy erupted when Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the women’s 50kg category due to a weight issue.

Despite making history as the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final, Phogat was found to be 100 grams over the weight limit just before her gold medal match against Sarah Hildebrandt of the USA.

The Indian delegation’s request for additional time to meet the weight criteria was denied, leading to her disqualification.

Vinesh’s spot in the final was filled by Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman. While Vinesh has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), a decision is still pending.

Should her appeal yield success, she will be awarded a silver medal and that would match India's most successful outing from Tokyo 2020.

Vinesh Phogat, who has since retired from professional wrestling, leaves behind a tenacious legacy but it is highly likely that the dramatic turn of events at Paris would remain the headline act of her career.

Antim Panghal's Olympic Village incident

Another controversy involved Indian wrestler Antim Panghal, who faced scrutiny after reports emerged that her sister attempted to enter the Olympic Village using Antim’s accreditation card.

Antim and her support staff returned to India and speculation was rife that a ban will be imposed on her as a disciplinary measure.

The wrestler, who had gone to her hotel after losing her bout, explained that she had given her sister the accreditation card to retrieve belongings from the Village, with permission from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

The IOA later clarified on X (formerly Twitter) that no ban had been imposed on Antim, countering the speculation.

Antim herself urged the public to support her during this difficult time and clarified that her return to India was planned before the incident occurred.

Indian Archery Coach's accreditation denied

India’s Korean archery coach, Baek Woong Ki, was denied access to the games when his accreditation for the 2024 Olympics was revoked.

Woong Ki, who had previously guided South Korea to two gold medals at the 2012 London Olympics, expressed his frustration with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), criticizing their “poor and hasty administration.”

He revealed that he was removed from the coaching role at a critical moment, just as the Indian team arrived in Paris following their preparations in Marseille.

Disappointed with the situation, Woong Ki announced that he would not continue after his contract expires on August 30, and planned to return to India shortly.

Food shortage

Another controversy that emerged was regarding the food served at the Games Village with several Indian athletes raising concerns about the quality and quantity of food provided.

Indian shuttler Tanisha Crasto mentioned that rajma, a popular Indian dish, was unavailable by the time she arrived for lunch.

Meanwhile, Boxer Amit Panghal relied on his support team to bring him traditional Indian meals such as dal and roti.

Reports from French media outlet L’Equipe highlighted that the food shortages affected not just Indian athletes, but competitors from other nations as well, with eggs being rationed at breakfast and grilled meats in short supply.

This unexpected issue raised eyebrows, considering the extensive planning usually undertaken for such a global event.

Nishant Dev robbed?

Nishant Dev suffered an agonising defeat to Mexico's Marco Verde Alvarez in the 71kg category, when victory would have assured him and India a medal at the Paris Olympics.

His defeat sparked outrage on social media, with many users claiming that the umpiring was unfair and India was "robbed" of a medal.

Nishant had won the first round 4-1 and appeared to be in control during the second round, delivering powerful jab and hooks.

However, the judges surprisingly favored Alvarez, putting him ahead 3-2, and Nishant ultimately lost the final round as well, despite having previously defeated the Mexican boxer.