Standing by Dr. Dineshaw Pardiwala and the Indian Olympic Contingent's Medical Team

Standing by Dr. Dineshaw Pardiwala and the Indian Olympic Contingent's Medical Team

The recent controversy surrounding Vinesh Phogat's disqualification at the Paris 2024 Olympics has sparked unwarranted criticism towards Dr. Dineshaw Pardiwala and the medical team. It's essential to set the record straight and not let some individuals tarnish the reputation of the dedicated team of medical professionals who supported our contingent of athletes at Paris Olympics 2024.

Weight management is an important aspect of wrestling, and athletes work closely with their personal coaches, trainers, and nutritionists to achieve optimal weight classes. This is something that every athlete in sports which have weight categories like wrestling and boxing have to deal with during every tournament. Each sport is different, each athlete's body is different, each athlete's competitive schedule is different. Hence the weight management is usually managed by each athlete and their support staff at large scale events like the Olympics.

The medical team's primary focus is on athletes' overall health, injury prevention, and treatment – not weight monitoring. It would not be possible for a small medical team to be monitoring the weight management of every athlete when there are so many different athletes, on different schedules and programs. Despite this, during the tumultuous time of Vinesh weighing in over the permitted weight, Dr. Dineshaw Pardiwala, as the Chief Medical Officer of the Indian Contingent, stood at the front, and did the interview alongside IOA Chief PT Usha to explain the events that had transpired. For him, and his team, to then face criticism in the media and over social media I think is unfair and unwarranted.

I am glad that the people directly involved with the incident have also come out clarifying the situation and defending the medical team from this criticism. IOA Chief PT Usha has rightly emphasized that athletes and their teams are responsible for weight management, and not the medical team. She herself has faced backlash for that comment with media outlets suggesting that is pointing the finger at Vinesh's camp. In fact even Vinesh Phogat in her statement after the Olympics has thanked Dr. Pardiwala and the medical team, and even goes on to say 'Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala. This is not a new name in Indian sports. For me, and I think for many other Indian athletes, he is not just a doctor but an angel in disguise sent by god. When I had stopped believing in myself after facing injuries, it was his belief, work and faith in me that got me back on my feet again'.

They deserve to be celebrated as leaders and pinnacles of Indian Healthcare.

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