Vinesh Phogat Opens Up About Prime Minister Modi’s Attempted Contact During Olympics
New Delhi, 3rd October 2024: Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification from the Paris 2024 Olympics remains a prominent topic, especially as the wrestler transitions from sports to politics and focuses on the Haryana Assembly elections. In a recent interview, she addressed a widely discussed question: Did Prime Minister Narendra Modi contact her during the Olympics?
Speaking to Lallantop, Vinesh confirmed that the Prime Minister did attempt to reach her in Paris but stated that she chose not to engage. She elaborated that the call was not direct; instead, Indian officials informed her of the Prime Minister’s wish to speak. Vinesh described the situation as a “social media gimmick,” which influenced her decision to decline the conversation.
“The call from the Prime Minister was there, but I refused to speak. It was conveyed to me by Indian officials present in Paris that he wanted to talk. I was prepared to engage, but they set conditions: no one from my team would be present, and two officials from their side would attend—one to film the interaction and another to facilitate the call, which would then be shared on social media. I didn’t want my emotions and hard work to be trivialized in that manner,” Vinesh explained.
Now aligned with the Congress party, she added, “If he truly had sympathy for an athlete, he could have spoken to me privately, and I would have appreciated it. Perhaps he knows that if I spoke to Vinesh, she would question him about the past two years. That might be why it was stipulated that I couldn’t have a phone; they could edit the footage on their end, but I wouldn’t alter mine. Hence, they declined.”
While campaigning for the elections, Vinesh has participated in multiple interviews, where she discussed her experiences in Paris. In one conversation, she made serious allegations against PT Usha, the president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), accusing her of engaging in politics during the Olympic event.
In response to Vinesh’s disqualification, 2012 London Olympic bronze medalist Yogeshwar Dutt criticized her, stating that the disqualification was justified. He remarked, “She was disqualified from the Olympic Games and should have publicly apologized for her mistakes. Instead, she called it a conspiracy and even blamed the Prime Minister. It’s well-known that the disqualification was warranted; athletes can be disqualified for exceeding weight limits by even a gram,” Yogeshwar asserted last month.
