Meet Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, who worked tirelessly to help ace wrestler Vinesh Phogat lose weight

For Indian sports enthusiasts, Wednesday morning brought disappointing news from the Paris 2024 Olympics. Star female wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who was a gold medal contender, was disqualified from the finals due to an unexpected weight increase. Indians had high hopes for Vinesh to win gold, but she was disqualified from the final match due to a weight gain. Vinesh was set to face America's Ann Hildabrand in the gold medal match of the women's 50kg wrestling category.

On Tuesday morning, before her first bout, Vinesh’s weight was 49.90 kg, allowing her to participate in the initial match. She went on to play three consecutive bouts on the same day and secured a place in the finals. However, after winning the semifinal, her weight unexpectedly increased to approximately 52.7 kg, causing a stir in the Indian wrestling camp. Despite efforts to reduce her weight with the help of renowned doctor Dinshaw Pardiwala, there was no success.

The night before the final, Vinesh was unable to sleep. The Indian team’s Chef de Mission, Gagan Narang, along with Dinshaw Pardiwala, Vinesh's husband, physiotherapists, medical staff, and IOA officials, made every effort to reduce her weight, but to no avail. Dr. Pardiwala mentioned that they could not put her life at risk. Vinesh had previously made history as the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the finals in Olympic wrestling.

Who is Dinshaw Pardiwala?

Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala recently performed surgery on Indian cricket team wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. He has also worked with renowned athletes like Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja. He is a sports orthopedic surgeon with over 22 years of experience. Dr. Pardiwala is the Director of Arthroscopy and Shoulder Service at Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai and was honored with the 2009 ISAKOS John Joyce Award for his significant contributions to arthroscopic surgery.

Who will replace Vinesh in the final?

Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzmán López will replace Vinesh Phogat in the final of the women's 50kg wrestling category at the Paris Olympics. Vinesh had defeated López in the semifinal. The Paris Olympic Organizing Committee stated, "Vinesh was deemed ineligible after a subsequent weigh-in. According to Article 11 of international wrestling rules, the spot is given to the wrestler she defeated in the semifinal. Therefore, Cuban Yusneylis Guzmán López has been given the opportunity to compete in the final."