In the first expression of her apparent agony at the rejection of her appeal for being granted a shared silver medal by the ad hoc division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Paris following her heartbreaking disqualification prior to her historic gold medal bout in the women’s 50 kg freestyle competition of the Parish Olympics, star Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat has posted a wail to God.
Without a word written or spoken, Vinesh posted a picture of herself on her Instagram account on Thursday lying flat on her back in the wrestling arena, her hands clutching her face, with an accompanying song ‘Rabba Ve’ by soulful music composer and Punjabi singer B Praak. The lyrics of the song are “….Meri Baari Te Lagdaey, Tuh Rabba Sutta Hi Reh Gaya…..!” (when it was my turn, it seems that God! you kept sleeping).
The song appears to be a true reflection of the pain and agony she must be experiencing within after being on the cusp of glory, for being the first Indian woman wrestler ever to get an opportunity to take a crack at an Olympic gold medal, and then, by a quirk of fate, being disqualified from the competition altogether and denied a medal.
Vinesh Phogat’s post on on her personal Instagram acccount
On the morning of her gold medal winning bout, she was found 100 grams over the cutoff weight for her weight category (50 kg) during the mandatory weigh-in. As per an apparently obnoxious rule of the world wrestling body United World Wrestling (UWW), a wrestler found even one gram over the cutoff weight at weigh-in on the day of the bout stands disqualified from the competition and becomes ineligible for a medal even after having won a medal-winning bout prior to the disqualification.
Only operating portion of CAS decision released
After a week of deliberations on Vinesh’s appeal for being granted a shared silver medal, on grounds of having won three bouts on way to the finals of the competition in the 50 kg weight category, despite being disqualified, the ad hoc division of CAS, after a few postponements, on Wednesday officially released the operating portion of its decision rejecting Vinesh’s appeal.
Vinesh, and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), which supported her cause, were represented in the court by India’s top international arbitration lawyer Harish Salve.
The details of the decision are still awaited.
IOA exploring further legal options
Expressing “shock” and “disappointment” over CAS’s rejection of Vinesh Phogat’s appeal, IOA in a statement released on Wednesday said, “In light of the order of the CAS, the IOA continues to stand in full support of Ms. Phogat and is exploring further legal options. The IOA is committed to ensuring that Vinesh’s case is heard. It will continue to advocate justice and fairness in sports, ensuring that the rights and dignity of athletes, and everyone in the sports fold, are upheld at all times.
“The operative part of the August 14 decision, which dismisses Vinesh’s application to be awarded a shared silver medal women’s 50 kg category at the Paris Olympic Games 2024, has significant implications for her in particular and the sporting community at large, the IOA statement read.
“The marginal discrepancy of a 100 grams, and the resultant consequences, has profound impact, not only in terms of Vinesh’s career but also raises serious questions about ambiguous rules and their interpretation.
“The IOA firmly believes that the total disqualification of an athlete for such a weight infraction on the second of (the) two days warrants a deeper examination. Our legal representatives had duly brought this out in their submissions before the Sole Arbitrator,” the statement further read.
The IOA is of the opinion that “The matter involving Vinesh highlights the stringent and, arguably, inhumane regulations that fail to account for the physiological and psychological stresses athletes, particularly female athletes, undergo. It is a stark reminder of the need for more equitable and reasonable standards that prioritize athletes’ well-being.”
It’s a quaint little dining place, nestled in the restaurant and café zone along the famous ‘gheri’ route of Chandigarh in Sector 10, which has won the love and admiration of the food lovers of the tricity for its modernistic-traditional cuisine.
Within a year of opening on the first floor of the inner market, opposite the iconic government-owned Mountview Hotel, ZINNIA – abstract dining, run in a partnership by international hospitality professionals, has built a reputation for itself rivalling any of the long existing popular premium restaurants. A 4.7 rating with more than 200 reviews on Google is no mean achievement in this short a span of time.
A vast majority of walk-ins at this place, with a seating capacity of 30-35 in both indoor and glass-covered outdoor settings, are repeat visitors who enjoy its plush and pleasing interiors, amazing food and warm and personalised hospitality of its staff.
For a restaurant this size, ZINNIA surprisingly has a disproportionately large staff, both in the kitchen as well as in service of guests, all conditioned to focus on every detail to ensure that the overall experience of guests does not get compromised at any time.
With the restaurant-café set to celebrate the completion of one full year of amazing response from patrons and guests on August 14, your own news portal LifeInChandigarh.com, on the invitation of Chef Jatin, the creative force behind the culinary experiences at ZINNIA, and its Managing Partner Varun Zinta, visited the place a few days prior to check it out.
In the interaction, during which various signature items from different sections of their menu were served to us, the two gentlemen came across as very knowledgeable, skilful and passionate professionals, out to wow guests with every aspect of hospitality.
So, they enthusiastically touched upon the welcoming interiors, to focussing zealously on detailing, quality and taste of all offering on their menu, to utmost care being taken to ensure that the serving staff is attentive, warm, and efficient in their dealings with the guests.
“Both of us are around all the time to make sure that right from procurement of ingredients to the preparation in the kitchen to service at the table, there is not an iota of difference between promise and delivery,” Jatin and Varun shared with apparent honesty.
(left to right) Varun, Vaibhav and Jatin posing for photographs after receiving an award in Chandigarh
They returned to the country after serving with top hospitality brands for a good 6-7 years in Canada, and together with a techie-turned-hotelier Vaibhav, they launched ZINNIA in a partnership.
Small compact menu
As with its seating area, the restaurant-café has a small compact menu of some 50 items divided in sections like hot and cold beverages, veg and non-veg fusion appetizers, pizzas, pastas, traditional Indian street foods with a modern twist, traditional cuisine in main course offerings and awesome desserts.
In the words of the promoters, “ZINNIA is all about culinary sophistication in sync with Chandigarh’s quest for refined dining. With a penchant for culinary art, we reimagine Indian cuisine, infusing creativity into tradition. You will find a different element in every menu, which we keep changing every now and then to maintain the excitement around it.”
One special feature of dining here is that as soon as you settle down around a table, each guest is warmly welcomed with a mouth-watering complimentary single-bite appetiser, which will be different on most of your visits.
Coming to section-wise menu, ZINNIA offers some very refreshing mocktails like Cactus & Cucumber and Passion Fruit spitzers with vibrant colours to bold flavours; and Mango & Turmeric and Gooseberry, Mulberry & Strawberry combuchas (with no added sugar).
In the beverage section, they also serve a variety of hot and cold coffees and teas, and fresh cold-pressed juices.
Also served are pizzas and pastas, and a rich variety of fusion appetizers, including modernized street food menus, catering to both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.
The appetizers we relished
We had delightful taste of Charcoal & Chevre kebab, made from goat cheese and served with cranberry chutney, and Mushroom Galauti, which had mushroom paté and onion jam sandwiched in truffled pao fried in butter. Mumbai Chilli Cheese Kulcha is also a must have.
In non-veg appetizers, Butter Chicken with chironji, Marzano makhani and fenugreek is a fovourite with the guests. With a blend of light, crispy batter and succulent prawn goodness, Tempura Fried Prawns promise an unforgettable culinary experience.
Main course
Turning to main course menu, Cranberry Kofta featuring toasted almond sauce, cottage cheese and cranberry; Paneer Khurchan with bell peppers and onion-tomato masala; and Wild Mushroom Do Pyaza, a dish prepared with assorted wild mushrooms from the hills of Himachal Pradesh cooked in onion-tomato masala are ZINNIA’s star offerings.
Among non-veg dishes Mutton Pepper Fry (featuring tender mutton cooked in a robust curry leaf, coconut, and black pepper masala, with a touch of tamarind for a delightful tang); Lamb Shank Nihari, with nihari sauce and fried onions; and Chicken and Mutton biryanis stand out in the menu. Gucchi Palao made with gucchi mushrooms is another attraction.
Every dining experience is incomplete without a dessert. So, the irresistible desserts on offer at this place are the Chocolate Flower Pot & Aam Ras, which is cake soaked in delicious mango rabri. Ya, you got it right, mango rabri!
So, if someone was to ask us how best to describe ZINNIA – abstract dining, we would say “Where flavours come alive!”
Victorious Indian stars of the Paris Olympics: Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra (left) and shooter Manu Bhaker
A history of narrow misses and fourth position finishes, which was repeated by Indian athletes at the just concluded Paris Olympics 2024, cannot and should not be a consolation to the most populous country in the world, which is also one of the most ancient, and was once the most prosperous civilisation.
For a contingent of 117, the strongest ever by numbers in any edition of the Olympics so far, the six medals with no gold and just one silver, Indian sports, instead of improving on its best ever performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the midst of the pandemic (seven medals, including one gold and two silver), slid from that tally, and finished a dismal 71st among 84 nations which won medals in Paris.
This is a stark reality in an era which is witnessing India’s rise as the world’s top five economies and a possible future status as an advanced country and global superpower.
However, there are eternal optimists who see a silver lining in Indian contingent’s performance at the Paris Games. The country’s first ever Olympic individual gold medallist, Abhinav Bindra, who etched his name in India sports history with his feat in the men’s 10m air rifle event at the 2012 Beijing Olympics, is one of them.
Abhinav Bindra happy with competitiveness
Bindra, who happened to be in Paris as a part of the International Olympic Committee’s Athletes Commission, while reflecting on India’s performance at the games, has expressed his admiration for the contingent’s competitiveness across various disciplines.
After the 142nd IOC session, where he was presented with the prestigious Olympic Order, Bindra was quoted as saying in the media, “I think it’s been a spirited performance. All our athletes have performed at a high level. We have six medals to show on our tally, but if you really go in-depth into performances, we have never had a Games where our athletes have been so competitive across disciplines, many of them been close to medalling.”
Many bright spots
Of course, there were many bright spots in the overall performance of the contingent at the Games.
The 2024 Paris Olympics bronze medal winning Indian hockey team
The Indian men’s hockey team won its second successive bronze medal at the Games. Through the course of their campaign at Paris, they scored a stunning victory over Australia (with a 3-2 scoreline), something which they had not been able to achieve in an Olympic for the last 52 years.
Young Manu Bhaker became the first ever Indian woman shooter to win a bronze medal (in 10m air pistol event) at the Games, which she capped with a second bronze (in the 10m air pistol mixed event) pairing with Sarabjot Singh to become the only Indian athlete postindependence to win twin medals in a single edition of the Olympics. She narrowly missed out on a hattrick of bronze medals, finishing fourth in the women’s 25m pistol final.
Swapnil Kusale added a third shooting bronze medal (in men’s 50m rifle three positions event) to make it India’s biggest haul in a single sports discipline in any one edition of the Olympics.
With his silver medal finish in javelin at the Paris Olympics, after his gold winning performance at the 2020 Tokyo Games, Neeraj Chopra became the most successful individual Indian Olympian ever.
In winning the bronze in the 57 kg men’s freestyle wrestling competition, the only medal in wrestling for the Indian contingent, Aman Sehrawat at age 21 years 24 days became India’s youngest ever Olympic medallist.
Heartbreaks aplenty
On the other hand, there were heartbreaks aplenty.
Apart from Manu Bhaker, who missed her third bronze medal, there were five other close fourth position finishers.
Among them was shooter Arjun Babuta in men’s 10m air rifle final; shooting pair Anantjeet Singh and Maheshwari Chauhan in the skeet mixed team event; and Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhakat in the mixed team archery event (though they made history by becoming the first Indian archers to reach the semi-finals in the Olympics).
Others to miss out with a fourth position finish were badminton wonderkid Lakshaya Sen in men’s singles (though he created history, becoming the first Indian male badminton player to advance to the Olympic semi-finals); and weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, who won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, in the women’s 49 kg weight category.
Disastrous disqualification of Vinesh Phogat
And the greatest of the heartbreaks was the disastrous disqualification of wrestler Vinesh Phogat on grounds of being over the required weight of 50 kg by just 100 grams at the weigh-in on the morning of her gold medal bout in the women’s 50 kg weight category, when she was on the cusp of creating history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler ever to enter an Olympic final.
There is, however, still hope as a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), on her appeal against her disqualification and for being presented a (shared) silver medal, following legal arguments having been heard, is expected to be announced any day.
Among the biggest disappointments was badminton ace and two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu (silver at Rio 2016 and bronze at Tokyo 2020), who could not advance beyond the pre-quarterfinal stage.
Time to reflect, prepare afresh for LA 2028
As always, it’s time for the government and the various sports bodies to get down to serious introspect on what worked well, what didn’t and reboot the training programme for a much-improved performance at the next Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
Former Olympian Dipa Karmakar, the first Indian female gymnast to compete at the Olympics (she finished fourth at the 2016 Rio Games), has been quoted in the media as suggesting an increase in spending on sports from the grassroots up. “Athletes need to be provided the right resources over the long term, not just for the few months running up to major competitions,” she has opined.
On the issue of funding for success of sports in India, Abhinav Bindra has a different take. In a recent interview to The Indian Express, the country’s first Olympic individual gold medallist, said: “Resources being allocated is only a simple enabler, and you need it. I mean, how else do you do it? You need money for training, to compete, travel, for the larger performance support stuff. But that doesn’t mean that it’s a vending machine. You can spend more you can spend less. (By itself) It’s not going to guarantee you success.”
Debate on India’s Olympic bid
Which bring us to another debatable issue – should or should not the country bid for hosting the Olympics in 2036, or beyond? Will it really help give a big fillip to sports in the country? Do we have creditable wherewithal to host the Games? What are the economic implications of holding the most expensive sporting extravaganza in the world?
All these issues will have to be debated at length nationally in the coming months before deciding to formally put in a bid or not.
Till then, hoping for a miracle to help us as a nation to climb the road to becoming another sporting powerhouse!
Apparently encouraged by the Supreme Court recently granting bail to former Delhi deputy chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia after remaining in jail for 17 months in two cases related to the alleged Delhi Liquor Policy scam, incarcerated Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal has also moved the Apex court seeking quashing of his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the same scam and to release him on bail.
On August 5, Kejriwal’s plea for quashing his arrest had been rejected by the Delhi High Court, and on his other plea for bail he had been asked to approach the trial court. He has moved the Supreme Court to challenge the high court’s decision.
The petition was mentioned before Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud on Monday with a prayer for urgent listing of the matter.
Kejriwal was arrested by the CBI on June 26 while in judicial custody in connection with a money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the same alleged scam.
While granting bail to Sisodia last week the Supreme Court had noted that that the prolonged delay in trial had violated the right to speedy trial of Sisodia and right to speedy trial is a facet of liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Wrestler Aman Sehrawat with his Olympic bronze medal
Orphaned at tender age of 11 years, and facing an existential crisis along with his little sister, Aman’s grit and determination turned misfortunate into opportunity with support and encouragement from his kin
In his bronze medal win in the men’s 57 kg weight category, the grappler at 21 years and 24 days age eclipsed badminton star PV Sindhu’s previous record of being the youngest Indian at 21 years, one month and 14 days when she bagged the silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics
From being born in a rural family of humble means, orphaned at the tender age of 11, and facing an existential crisis, to a 21-year-old becoming the youngest ever Indian to win an individual Olympic medal on debut, Aman Sehrawat is an epitome of grit and determination, having turned misfortunate into opportunity with support and encouragement from his kin.
Also being the youngest male wrestler at the Paris Summer Games at 21 years and 24 days, Aman, known for his pacy and aggressive style of wrestling, came up against the wall in the semifinals of the freestyle 57 kg weight category, losing the bout to the accomplished top-seed wrestler, Japan’s Rei Higuchi.
But far from being disheartened by the reverse, Aman displayed exceptional composure in the bronze medal playoff to get the better of Puerto Rico’s Darian Cruz, a Pan American Games bronze medallist, with a convincing 13-5 scoreline.
Earlier, the young Indian wrestler registered back-to-back wins on technical superiority with victories over Macedonia’s Vladimir Egorov, a former European champion, in the round of 16 and former world champion Zelimkhan Abakarov of Albania in the quarterfinal.
Sehrawat eclipsed badminton star PV Sindhu’s previous record of being the youngest Indian at 21 years, one month and 14 days when she bagged the silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Indian wrestlers’ Oly medal winning streak unbroken since 2008
In winning the medal, Aman Sehrawat, a resident of Birohar village in Haryana’s Jhajjar district, and the only male member in the Indian six-member wrestling squad, ensured that the Indian wrestlers’ streak of winning a medal in every edition of the Olympics since 2008 remained unbroken.
Apart from Vinesh Phogat’s pending appeal for being considered for a (shared) silver medal in the 50 kg weight category after being disqualified for being over the required weight by just 100 grams ahead of her gold medal bout, none of the other four Indian women wrestlers participating in their respective weight categories could win a medal.
Nisha Dahiya (women’s 68kg) was eliminated in the quarterfinals, Antim Panghal (women’s 53kg) and Anshu Malik (women’s 57kg) faltered at in the very first round, and under-23 world champion Reetika Hooda (women’s 76kg) unfortunately lost in the quarterfinals to top seed Kyrgystan wrestler Aiperi Medet Kyzy despite being tied 1-1 at the end of regulation time, considering that the latter scored the last technical point.
According to United World Wrestling (UWW) rules, in case of tied scores after a bout, the winner is decided on the basis of three criteria – one, higher value of holds; two, least amount of cautions; and three, who scored the last technical point.
In Reetika’s case, the third rule came into play. In the tied contest, Reetika gained a point first and later Aiperi gained a score-levelling last technical point, deciding the bout in her favour.
The only Indian two-time Olympic medallist wrestler, Sushil Kumar was the first to break the glass ceiling by winning the bronze in Beijing (2008), and since then Yogeshwar Dutt (2012), Sakshi Malik (2016), Ravi Dahiya and Bajrang Punia (2021) had kept the tradition intact.
Aman Sehrawat’s bronze is India’s eighth wrestling medal in all Olympics. Sushil Kumar and Ravi Kumar Dahiya won silver medals at 2012 London and 2020 Tokyo, respectively. The remaining six medals are bronze.
Latest in list of Olympic medallists to emerge from Chhatrasal Stadium
Sehrawat has joined the list of Olympic medallist male wrestlers Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, Ravi Kumar Dahiya and Bajrang Punia as the latest grappler to emerge from the acclaimed Chhatrasal Stadium of Delhi.
Aman dedicated his feat to his late parents. “This medal is for them. (Before passing away) They didn’t even know that I have become a wrestler, that there’s something called the Olympics,” he shared.
Showing remarkable confidence and vision, the 21-year-old said: “It’s been a long time since I won a medal for my country. I had to do something about it. I would like to say to the people of India that I will definitely win a gold for you in 2028.
“The target was a gold (medal at Paris), but I had to be content with bronze this time. I had to forget the semifinal defeat. I told myself, let it go and focus on the next. Sushil pehalwan ji won two (Olympic) medals, I will win in 2028 and then in 2032 also,” he declared.
Tragic childhood
Aman Sehrawat’s earlier life was tragic with the then 11-year-old left alone in this world with his little sister, and facing an existential crisis, following the death of both his parents in quick succession. Fortunately for him one of his uncle Sudhir Sehrawat, and his grandfather Mangeram took up the responsibility of looking after them.
Sudhir was able to convince young Aman not to despair despite the personal loss of losing his parents at a tender age, and devote his attention and energy to wrestling, which was his favourite childhood indulgence in the village mud pits. The boy’s deep interest in wrestling had begun to turn into passion at age 10, inspired by watching the exploits of ‘pehalwan’ Sushil Kumar in his bronze medal winning performances at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
He had been initiated into modern mat wrestling at Chhatrasal Stadium even prior to his parents passing away, though without their knowing, but encouraged by his uncle, the stadium became his second home from there on and his wrestling journey gained firm footing.
Announced arrival
By the time he entered his teens, Aman was already showing promise in the game. Finally, he announced his arrival in his late teens, winning the gold in the 2019 Asian Cadet Championships in Nur-Sultan (later renamed Astana), the capital of the central Asian nation of Kazakhstan.
Graduating into the senior category, he won his first National Championships in 2021.
This was only the beginning of his accelerated career, as he went on to become the first Indian to win gold at the Under-23 World Championships, and cap it with a gold medal winning performance in 2023 at the Asian Championships in Astana and winning a bronze at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Riding on his successes, Aman Sehrawat outperformed 2020 Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Ravi Dahiya in the trials to book a ticket as India’s representative to the Paris Olympics in the men’s freestyle 57 kg weight category, an opportunity he grabbed with both hands.
The young man is on a roll, winning millions of hearts, and etching his name in India’s sporting history!
The one thing which former Delhi deputy chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader apparently missed most all these past 17 months in jail in connection with the Delhi Liquor Policy case was a ‘bed tea’, the hot morning cuppa in the cozy comfort of the bed, at home in the company of his wife Seema.
Sisodia, who was granted bail by the Supreme Court on Friday in both the CBI and ED cases, posted a selfie of smiling himself and his wife, cups of tea in hand, on his personal ‘X’ handle on Saturday with a strong apparently politically coloured message in Hindi:
“Aazadi ki subah ki pehli chaye … 17 mahine baad!
“Veh aazadi jo samvidhan ne humm sab bharatiyon ko jeene ke adhikaar ki guarantee ki roop mein dee hai.
“Veh aazadi jo eeshvar nein hamein sabke saath khuli hava nein saans lene ke liye dee hai.”
(“First morning tea of freedom…. after 17 months!
“That freedom which the Constitution has granted us all Indians in the form of guarantee of our right to live.
“That freedom granted to us by God which allows all of us to breath freely.”)
The primary premise of the Supreme Court bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan, which had reserved the judgment on August 6, in granting bail to Sisodia is the delay in commencement of the trial in the case.
The bail granted to Sisodia is expected to have a strong bearing on the dozens of similar cases, wherein various premier government investigating agencies are holding the accused in jail for long periods of time pending trial, especially in cases where political witch-hunting by the government is alleged.
“We find that on account of long incarceration running around 17 months and trial having not been commenced, the appellant has been deprived of the right to speedy trial…,” the Court noted in its order on Sisodia’s bail plea, and added that there did not appear to the remotest possibility of the trial being completed in the near future considering that 495 witnesses and thousands of documents are to be examined.
Under the circumstances, to keep the accused in custody for an unlimited period would result in a grave violation of the fundamental right to personal liberty under Article 21, the judges observed.
The bench also rejected Additional Solicitor General SV Raju request to impose certain conditions on Sisodia akin to those imposed in the Arvin Kejriwal case, like he should not visit the Chief Minister’s office or the Delhi Secretariat.
However, the Court asked the former Delhi deputy CM to furnish bail bonds for a sum of Rs.10 lakhs with two sureties of the like sum and to surrender his passport. He will also be required to report to the investigating officer every Monday and Thursday.
Sisodia is an accused in two separate cases – one registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and the other registered by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
He was arrested in 2023, first by CBI on February 26 and later by ED on March 9.
From a high of being so close to winning a historic Olympic gold medal for the country, to not even eligible for any medal, and rather relegated to the bottom of the ranking in her weight category, destiny could not have been crueller on India’s star woman wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who was disqualified for being 100 grams over the required 50 kg weight limit during the weigh-in on the morning of her gold medal bout.
It might have initially felt like a horrible dream after a dream run, during which she pulled off one of the biggest wins of her career as she shocked four-time world champion and reigning gold-medallist Yui Susaki of Japan on points to enter the quarter-final.
But when the reality of the harsh and seemingly illogical Olympic rules, according to which even one gram overweight of the maximum weight permissible at the time of weigh-in on the morning of the bout/s is enough to disqualify an athlete from competing any further in his or her weight category, must have sunk in, it would have been heart-shattering for even the toughest of fighters as Vinesh is.
The deep sense of pain, sorrow and resignation to fate was quite palpable in the message addressed by her to her mother, and posted on her personal X handle, in which Vinesh, one of the sisters from among the famed six wrestling ‘Phogat Sisters’ of Haryana, announced her decision to quit wrestling.
Post on ‘X’
“Maa, kushti mere se jeet gayi, mein haar gayi! Maaf karna! Aapka sapna, meri himmat, sabb toot chuke! Isse zyada taakat nahin rahi abb!
“Avlida kushti 2001-2024!
“Aap sabki hameshan rini rahongi. Maafi!
(Mother, wrestling got the better of me, I lost! Pardon me! Your dream, my grit, all have been shattered! Not left with more strength than this now!
“Goodbye Wrestling 2001-2024!
Will always remain indebted to you all. Pardon!”)
Appeal for arbitration
But as per latest reports, all is not lost for Vinesh.
Her appeal against her disqualification and being reinstated for the gold medal bout, which was later modified to appeal for being awarded a (shared) silver medal, was admitted by the Paris-based hoc committee of the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), which adjudicates on all legal disputes at the Olympics and other major world sports events.
India’s legal luminary Harish Salve and another senior lawyer Vidushpat Singhania represented Vinesh Phogat and IOA, which is supporting the wrestler’s appeal, before the sole arbitrator appointed by the CAS ad hoc committee. The decision on the arbitration is expected to be made before the conclusion of the Olympics on August 11.
CAS can decide on appeals within 24 hours in urgent matters. However, in exceptional cases the arbitrator appointed by the ad hoc committee of CAS can extend this time limit if the circumstances so demand.
While hope hangs by a thread pending a decision by CAS, Vinesh Phogat’s paternal uncle and award-winning wrestling coach Mahavir Phogat while appreciating the circumstances under which Vinesh took the extreme step of quitting the sport, said that on her return home the family together will try to persuade her to reconsider her decision and take another shot at the Olympics in 2028 at Los Angeles.
Mahavir Phogat has coached Vinesh, her sister Priyanka, and his own four daughters, Babita, Gita, Ritu and Sangeeta, all of whom have won international and national championships.
The Haryana government has also pitched in with its support for Vinesh with Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini declaring that the state government will honour and reward the gutsy wrestler commensurate with an Olympic silver medal winner.
Scars of humiliation
Whatever the outcome, Vinesh is apparently still nursing the mental scars of the pain, agony and humiliation suffered during her and her fellow wrestlers’ protest sit-ins organised by them at Jantar Mantar in the National capital last year to seek justice in charges of sexual harassment of women wrestlers.
The charges were levelled by six women wrestlers against then Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President and powerful multiple-times Member of Parliament (MP) Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of the ruling BJP at the Centre. He is now facing a court trial in the matter.
The profile picture on Vinesh’s personal X account still carries a graphic representative of the agitation with a slogan reading ‘CHAMPIONS IN TEARS’ …. ‘I STAND WITH WRESTLERS’ on the lines of the ‘No Farmers No Food’ slogan coined by the agitating farmers and their supporters to oppose the contentious farm laws, which were later repealed.
The sexual harassment charges
File photos of Vinesh Phogat (left) and former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing court trial in a case of sexual harassment charges levelled against him by six women wrestlers
The protesting wrestlers launched an agitation in January last year demanding removal of the then WFI president facing sexual harassment charges, and dissolution of the sports body.
During the long-drawn agitation, spearheaded by Vinesh Phogat, Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik and top male wrestler Bajrang Punia, there were a couple of unsavoury clashes with the police. In one such clash, the police used force to thwart a protest march by a large crowd of protesting wrestlers and their supporters towards the new Parliament building, which was to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister on that day.
File photos of Vinesh Phogat (left) and Sakshi Malik being manhandled by the police in Delhi at the height of their agitation against sexual harassment of women wrestlers
Pictures of the wrestlers, including Vinesh and Sakshi, being manhandled and dragged away by the police had raised a public outcry and condemnation from the international sports fraternity.
Establishment shielded accused WFI chief
Despite the seriousness of the allegations, that too coming from some of the star women wrestlers of the country, the response from the entire establishment, including the BJP government at the Centre, remained rather partisan and cold towards the demands of the agitating wrestlers, apparently because of the involvement of a powerful ruling party MP. The Prime Minister also did not decisively intervene in the matter.
But when matters came to a head, after the aggrieved women wrestlers formally filed separate individual complaints against the WFI chief with the Delhi Police, and moved the Supreme Court, a FIR was registered against the accused.
Later, on the intervention of then Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, Brij Bhushan was forced to resign and the WFI dissolved, paving the way for Indian Olympic Association (IOA), led by Sprint Queen PT Usha, to form ad hoc committee to administer the body and oversee fresh elections.
But eventually when the much-delayed elections took place in December 2023, as expected Sanjay Singh, a close confidante of Brij Bhushan, won hands down and assumed the charge as WFI president.
Charges framed, trial began
Meanwhile in June 2023, the Delhi police filed a chargesheet in the court, which framed sexual harassment charges against the accused more than a year later in May this year stating that the court had found sufficient material on record to frame charges against Brij Bhushan Saran Singh for the offences under Section 354 (outraging modesty of woman) and 354A (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code.
Brij Bhushan pleaded not guilty and claimed trail, which began in the court on July 26.
Following the adverse developments against Brij Bhushan, BJP denied him a ticket to contest the Lok Sabha 2024 elections from Kaiserganj in Uttar Pradesh, a constituency he represented for three consecutive terms.
However, succumbing to pressures, the party was compelled to field his son Karan Bhushan Singh, president of the Uttar Pradesh Wrestling Association, from the seat. And, despite the overall crushing reverses suffered by the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh, which sends the highest number of members in the country to the Lok Sabha, he won the seat with more than 50% of the votes polled, though marginally short of the percentage of votes won by his father in the 2019 elections.
Dr Krishna Chivukula (centre) with Prof V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras (right)
The single tranche donation has been made by Dr Krishna Chivukula, Founder & Chairman of Bangalore based INDO-MIM Limited, a global leader in precision Metal Injection Moulded (MIM) parts and components
It will support a range of initiatives, including research endeavours, scholarships for international students, and undergraduate fellowship programmes at IIT Madras
Earlier this year Ruth Gottesman, a 93-year-old widow of a Wall Street financier donated a whopping US$ 1 billion (approx. Rs 8400 crore INR) to a lesser visible US medical school, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, where she herself was a former professor, to cover tuition for all students going forward.
It was one of the largest charitable donations ever to any educational institution in the United States and probably the world and was met with elation from the medical students burdened with very high tuition fee and other expenses.
The donation set an example on how large-scale philanthropy can really make an impact in opening up higher education to more deserving students.
Here in India, Dr. Krishna Chivukula, an alumnus of IIT Madras, has made to the institution its largest ever single donation of Rs 228 crore in one tranche. The donation will support a range of initiatives, including research endeavours, scholarships for international students, and undergraduate fellowship programmes at IIT Madras.
Dr Chivukula is Founder & Chairman of Bangalore based INDO US MIM Tec Pvt. Ltd, a global leader in precision Metal Injection Moulded (MIM) parts and components used in various industries like Defence, Automotive, Consumer, Medical, Aero, etc. with a turnover of over Rs 1,000 crore.
Sharing his thoughts with faculty, researchers, students, and guests in a ceremony organised on the IIT Madras campus on August 6, he said, “My education at IIT-Madras, in addition to being extremely memorable and enjoyable, enabled me to accomplish much in life and put me in a position whereby I can give back to the Institute a gift – one of the largest single donations to date to a university in India.”
Reciprocating his gesture, IIT-Madras named an academic block in honour of Dr Chivukula.
About Dr Krishna Chivukula
Dr. Krishna Chivukula graduated with a M. Tech. in Aeronautical Engineering from IIT Madras in 1970, following a B. Tech. (Honors) in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Bombay in 1968. He received an MBA from Harvard University in 1980 and was awarded a Doctor of Letters (D. Lit.) degree from Tumkur University in 2012.
Dr. Krishna Chivukula rapidly rose though the engineering ranks of Hoffman Industries in USA to become Chief Engineer in 1976. In 1984, after his Harvard MBA, he returned to Hoffman Industries as Group President and CEO, but left in 1990 to start his first company, Shiva Technologies Inc., in Syracuse, New York. Under his leadership, Shiva Technologies grew to # 1 position in the world in trace element analysis using advanced mass spectroscopic techniques. In 1997, Shiva Analyticals Pvt. Ltd. was established in Bangalore.
Also in 1997, Dr. Krishna Chivukula brought state-of-the-art engineering manufacturing technology – metal injection moulding (MIM) – to India, while it was still an emerging technology in USA, by starting a second company – INDO US MIM Tec Pvt. Ltd. – in Bangalore.
Currently, INDO US MIM Tec occupies the number one position in the world in MIM technology in terms of capacity and sales, employing over 2000 highly qualified personnel. The firm is the only large scale MIM industry in India and has a projected turnover of nearly Rs. 1000 Crores.
A third company, Gowri Ventures, was started in 2009 in Renigunta with specialization in high – precision investment castings.
The iconic Softy Corner now with casual dining space in Sector 22-D inner market, next to iconic Kiran Cinema traffic light point
Remember queuing up at the tiny Softy Corner (since 1980) in Chandigarh’s city centre Sector 17 Plaza to be served your favourite softies by a genial bespectacled man – Mr Sanjay Abbott. With passing years, the menu at the
go-to joint has been getting bigger and the queues longer. It is one of the most Instagram savvy place in the City Beautiful.
With a young man deciding to extend a helping hand to his father, the overall experience of customers and patrons is only getting better.
It is natural for younger generation to bring new flavour and energy to the offerings, and so the younger Abbott, Chirag, on his initiation into the business, has ensured that the menu expands to include not just more varieties of softies, pure ice creams, sundaes, popcorns, etc, but also a wide range of coffees, thick shakes, appetizers, wraps, burgers and more.
Softy Corner has also expanded its reach with the opening of another takeaway outlet in Sector 9 inner market (in 2014).
Casual dining in Sec 22-D, ideal for small parties
Recently with the launch of a much bigger outlet, boasting casual dining facility in Sector 22-D inner market, birthday, kitty and other small parties (up to 30-35 persons) have just found new taste, zing and fun.
With the restaurant up and running, and becoming popular by the day, your own news portal LifeInChandigarh.com decided to check out what’s so special about it on an invitation extended by our old friend Sanjay Abbott.
So, the coolest part of the restaurant (located next to the iconic Kiran Cinema traffic light point in one of the busiest markets in the city), apart from its invitingly pleasing décor, is that the rates of the entire menu in the fully airconditioned environment, with adequate seating on two floors of a SCO, have been kept untouched from both takeaway outlets.
The Abbotts are also quite liberal regarding the minimum number of guests for party bookings. While the first-floor birthday party space has seating for up to 30-35 guests, parties with lesser guests are also accommodated. There are no booking charges.
The restaurant offers a standard Rs 500 per head birthday party menu option, which includes a shake or cold coffee for starters, followed by a burger or wrap with a compliment of fries and topping the fun with a delicious ice cream. However, clients can also order a la carte.
Wide-ranging menu
The wide-ranging menu at the restaurant is split into sections, which includes a wide variety of cold beverages and coffees (Chocolaty and Caramelly Frappes stand out), ‘slush’ – the juicy and icy fruit drinks and American thick shakes (Ferrero Blast and Brownie Blast are among the favourites).
The count of mouth-watering ice cream sundaes and sundae cones is so varied and long that you just can’t have only one. The Fruit Cocktail Sundae, a cocktail of soft mango ‘n’ vanilla ice cream mixed with fruits and topped with cherries and strawberry fruit crush, satiates your spirit.
Serving the best softies in town, Softy Corner has a surprise addition waiting each time you visit any of their three outlets. Apart from the regular single flavour cup/cone in King Alphonso (30-35% fruit content), Chocolate Delight, Crunchy Butter Scotch and the Creamy Vanilla flavours, Italian twin flavour softies are a rage.
Choc-o-Blast!
In ‘Choc-o-Blast’ section, the restaurant serves a premium range of chocolate soft ice creams in cups and in natural waffle cones. The Double Choco Chip, with Dutch processed chocolate. is famous. You get a super chocolate ice cream covered with double choco chips and double gems served in a chocolate dipped cone.
In French Fries, it serves masala fries, cheesy fries, and newly added Twister Fries and Cheesy Twister Fries, which are just awesome.
Don’t forget to try out their Cheese Popcorns which come in popcorn zip packs and Caramel Corn in plastic buckets.
The appetisers section also runs long, with a wide variety of potato appetizers and others like Seekh Kebabs, Mozzarella Cheese Sticks, Pizza Squares and Macroni ‘n’ Cheese/Chicken ‘n’ Cheese Bullets.
A range of wraps and burgers round of their menu.
Candid conversation with Abbotts
In a candid conversation, Sanjay Abbott and young Chirag (he is in his early 30s) poured out their genuine feelings towards their business and their lasting relationships with their customers and patrons.
“In its fifth decade in service, Softy Corner is thriving because of the immense love showered on us by our customers and patrons. It is our passion to serve the customers and patrons the best quality products at the best price. For us the satisfaction of seeing happy and smiling faces of people, enjoying the wide variety of our offerings is the biggest reward and we will cherish it for life,” shared Sanjay Abbott.
Chirag added: “We keep adding to our menus keeping not just the modern young crowd in mind, but to cater to people of all age groups and tastes. There is genuineness and honesty about all the ingredients we use, which are always of the best quality.”
Stressing the honest intent further, he maintained: “Making compromises for increasing margins is never an option. So, our ice creams are pure dairy based and we use only fresh fruit pulp or juice, and not fruit flavours. The chocolates we use are also international standard and the cheeses of the best quality available.”
Bollywood-Pollywood actor-comedian Gupreet Ghuggi poses with the luggage after inaugurating an exclusive VIP Luggage Store in Sector 79, Airport Road, Mohali
Bollywood-Pollywood actor and comedian Gurpreet Ghuggi, while inaugurating the store owned by Vivek Jolly, says luggage is like family, a friend and constant companion
In Mohali to inaugurate an exclusive VIP Luggage Store, the largest in the Mohali cluster, on the Airport Road in Sector 79, Bollywood-Pollywood actor and comedian Gurpreet Ghuggi was asked how much luggage means to a celebrity constantly on the move. His reply did not surprise us, “My luggage means everything to me. It is my family member, my friend and my constant companion. Can you imagine life without luggage!”
Gurpreet Ghuggi with VIP Luggage Store owner Vivek Jolly and others performing the ribbon-cutting ceremony
With more and more upwardly mobile Indians taking to travel, both domestically and internationally, luggage is increasingly taking centre stage in our lives. More perhaps than safety, utility and durability, modern travellers are increasingly placing emphasis on aesthetics because for them luggage has become a fashion accessory and statement.
Your own news portal LifeInChandigarh.com visited the exclusive VIP Luggage Store on its inaugural to check out the company’s VIP, Skybags and Carlton brand collections from this standpoint. Sure enough, we came out rather impressed with the wide range of styles and colours of luggage, backpacks and handbags displayed on the shelves in the spacious store.
Owner of the store Vivek Jolly informed us that at least 50 different styles in the three VIP brands – VIP, Skybags and Carlton – are on display in the store.
Vivek Jolly posing with Amol Kulkarni, Channel Manager, Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana, HP & J-K, VIP Industries, at the store inauguration
In an exclusive conversation, Amol Kulkarni, Channel Manager, Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and J&K, VIP Industries, which besides its flagship brand VIP, also encompasses in its portfolio brands like Skybags, Carlton, Aristocrat, Alfa and the latest one Caprese, dedicated to the urban woman, shared: “If VIP has not only survived but also thrived, growing from strength to strength these past more than five decades, it is largely because it is constantly innovating and reinventing itself and enhancing the overall experience of travellers.
“The company is deeply focussed on introducing new designs, styles and colours, to bring more vibrancy to the luggage, while at the same time putting its luggage through a series of stringent tests to ensure high quality and durability. Constant innovations ensure that tailormade solutions are found for specific requirements of customers and for specific occasions while enhancing the element of convenience of storage and use, as well as security of locking mechanisms,” he added.
With access to more destinations becoming faster and easier, thanks to be massive expansions happening in highways, railways and airport infrastructure across the country, travel and tourism has become a 24×7 activity all 365 days a year; And, cashing in on this trend, the luggage industry, dominated largely by VIP, Samsonite and Safari in the organised sector in India, is growing rapidly.
According to industry insiders, the luggage industry is also gaining immensely from gifting of luggage units by corporates and industries. Marriage season has already been a flush season for the industry and with marriages becoming grander, premium luggage is also finding more customers.
According to information available, VIP Industries (estd. 1968), one of the world’s leading manufacturers and retailers of luggage, sells upwards of one crore luggage units annually in 15,000+ retail points across 40-plus countries, including India.