‘It’s a collective failure’: Wrestling coach Jagmal on Vinesh's disqualification

Behind every champion wrestler on the mat there is a large team of backroom staff responsible for keeping the athlete in shape 24x7 This team comprises coaches physiotherapists nutritionists doctors masseurs and technical experts who work closely with the grappler throughout competition And Vinesh Phogatrsquos failure to meet her 50kg weight limit for her Olympic gold medal bout on Wednesday is a collective failure of this group says former nationallevel wrestling coach Jagmal Singh who trained Olympian and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Narsingh YadavlsquoTeam must accept blamersquoldquoThis is clearly a collective failure of the entire team that is accompanying Vinesh 29 for the Paris Olympics No one should can escape this blame because clearly if she can make the 50kg category on Day One of the competition Vinesh had weighed at 4990kg she should be able to do the same on Day 2 of the competitionrdquo Jagmal 64 who retired after a threedecade long coaching career in 2020 told middayIOA President PT Usha right meets Vinesh Phogat after the latter was hospitalised following her disqualification yesterday PicsPTIOn Wednesday morning the wrestling world was rocked by the news that Vinesh had been disqualified for weighing in 100 gms above the prescribed limit for her 50 kg gold medal bout against American Sarah Ann Hildebrandt This after a gruelling day that saw her win three bouts including the first against Japanrsquos Yui Susaki a fourtime world champion and reigning and Olympic champion who had never lost a bout beforeAlso ReadThis is biggest heartbreak Phogatrsquos disqualification leaves India reelingJagmal SinghAccording to the Indian Olympic Association sources when Vinesh weighed in at 527kg on Tuesday evening after her three bouts she undertook cardio training to sweat it out for weight loss She also spent the whole night in the sauna and did not sleep yet she was overweight by 100gm It is learnt that blood was also drawn from Vinesh in a desperate bid to reduce her weightSudden weight gain a worryJagmal said that Vinesh might have had a sudden and more than expected weight spike which would have taken her coaching team by surprise ldquoWhen a wrestler loses two to three kilos suddenly then when they consume even a small amount of food there could be a sudden weight surge I believe Vinesh was prescribed 15 kg of food to sustain the day This may have caused a sudden and more than expected surge in Vineshrsquos weight Her support staff were clearly not expecting this and failed to deal with itrdquo explained Jagmal adding that given Vineshrsquos professional setup things should have been handled better ldquoWrestlers struggling with weight issues is common Even in Narsinghrsquos case wersquove done things like water intake restriction food restriction and exercisesAlso ReadChief medical officer reveals drastic steps taken to cut Vineshs weightlsquoVineshrsquos case is differentrsquoBut Vineshrsquos case is different since shersquos originally over 55kg Vineshrsquos normal weight is 56 kg and was fighting in a category lower than her regular 53kg So her team should have been more cautious She has her own nutritionist who supervises her food She has her own physio and coach to look after her training These people knew she has a problem with weight so they should have done more to help her The athlete canrsquot be blamed at allrdquo concluded JagmalExpert viewDietician and nutritionist Krutuja Hukeri provides possible reasons for sudden weight gain which Vinesh Phogat experiencedi Menstrual cycle and weight gain The menstrual cycle affects the weight Women tend to gain weight in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle which can lead to fluid retentionii Travel and water retention Travel and environmental changes can affect metabolism and lead to water retention Stress and changes in routine can impact the bodyrsquos fluid balance and metabolismiii Postfight cortisol increase and inflammation Elevated cortisol levels postfight can lead to muscle breakdown and fat accumulationiv Timing of Last Meal The timing of the last meal before a competition can influence weight and performancev Dehydration and rehydration Wrestlers often engage in dehydration to make weight for a match and rehydrate rapidly afterwards This cycle can lead to fluctuations in weight due to fluid retention and lossIndians in action todayGolfWomenrsquos individual Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagarhellip 1230AthleticsWomenrsquos 100m hurdles repechage round Jyothi Yarrajihellip 1405Menrsquos javelin throw final Neeraj Choprahellip 2355WrestlingMenrsquos 57kg freestyle 18 finals Aman Sehrawat 1430Womenrsquos 57kg freestyle 18 finals Anshu Malik 1430HockeyMenrsquos bronze medal match India v Spain 1730