Sachin Tendulkar has come out in support of Vinesh Phogat amid the ongoing disqualification row at the Paris Olympics. The Master Blaster took to his 'X' account, formerly Twitter and mentioned that Vinesh should be awarded silver as she "qualified for the finals fair and square".
Sachin emphasised that rules are an integral part of every sporting discipline but they "need to be seen in context" and "even revisited at times" if required.
"Time for an Umpire's Call! Every sport has rules and those rules need to be seen in context, maybe even revisited at times. Vinesh Phogat qualified fair and square for the finals. Her disqualification by weight, was before the finals, and hence, for her to be robbed of a deserving silver medal defies logic and sporting sense," Sachin's post read.
Sachin added that Vinesh defeated her opponents at the Paris Olympics fair and square to reach the top two and therefore is worthy of a silver medal.
"It would have been understandable if an athlete were to have been disqualified for ethical breaches such as the usage of performance enhancing drugs. In that case, to not be awarded any medal and be placed last would be justifiable. However, Vinesh beat her opponents fairly to reach the top two. She definitely deserves a silver medal. While we all wait for a verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport, let us hope and pray that Vinesh gets the recognition she deserves," the post read further.
Notably, Vinesh has appealed against her disqualification and filed a plea for silver in the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS). The verdict on Vinesh is expected to come before the end of the Paris Olympics. She has already announced her retirement from the sport - a decision that seemed to be an emotional one.
