Olympic Sports

Is 19 year old Antim Panghal alone to blame for what happened yesterday?

August 8, 2024
Sharmistha Gooptu
Photograph of Antim Panghal ( Source X)

SharmisthaGooptu 

A lot has been written already about the Antim Panghal episode yesterday with some media outlets claiming that she is being deported along with her family, and about to be banned. That is not true, and a little while ago, we have received a message on the media WhatsApp group from the Indian Press Attaché that the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) categorically refuted claims that a ban has been imposed. 

Yesterday was truly a black day for India at the Olympics. We woke up joyous only to shortly hear the news of VineshPhogat’s disqualification. Thereafter, following a day of emotional upheaval, we were at Mirabai Chanu’s competition when a source called to say that Indian officials had rushed to the Saint-Denis police station and that wrestler Antim Panghal’s sister has been detained for trying to enter the Athletes’ village.

She had posed as Antim with Antim’s accreditation card and been caught by the army police who man the Games Village – a high-security area – and been handed over to the local police. We were also told that Antim’s brother had been detained by the police following a drunken brawl with a taxi driver. As the story broke, it was revealed that Antim’s entire family along with the wrestler herself would be sent back to India today. It had been a serious security breach and given the high levels of security being maintained in Paris since before the opening ceremony, the French police were being strict with no exceptions.

This morning, the sequence of events was confirmed to us. After the loss in yesterday’s 53kg freestyle competition, Antim had not wanted to return to the Athletes Village. She had gone to the hotel where her sister was staying. Incidentally, this is also the hotel for Team India officials and support staff. As per sources, her sister had landed in Paris without a place to stay, assuming that she could put up with Antim! Since that wasn’t possible, she was accommodated with Antim’s sparring partner at the Hyatt in Paris.

That was where Antim went yesterday after her defeat.Later in the evening, she had sent her sister to the village with her accreditation, to pick up her things. That was when she was detained by the army police. The drama finally ended after 2am when the IOA gave an undertaking that they would be sent back today. 

Now that the sequence of events is out of the way, some serious questions need to be posed. Antim only turns 20 at the end of this month. She has had very little exposure to the world outside of training camps, her immediate family and biradari. She has possibly not hadfull formal schooling, and doesn’t speak English. Cultural barriers can make for immense challenges, and we cannot blame the athlete alone here for what transpired. 

Antim and her sister were going by the much celebrated Indian tradition of Jugaad. When she herself felt unable to go back to the Village –for whatever reason – she used her best available jugaadand sent her sister to impersonate her. 

Many Indians have employed a bit of that jugaad mentality when they’ve needed to. Haven’t most of us when we travelled abroad in our early years landed in some spot or other on account of miscomprehension of regulations? Or just for being new to a certain culture that’s very different from ours?

 

While we celebrate jugaad, the west doesn’t – they go by the book. And also,jugaadhas no place when it comes to a high-security international event like the Olympic Games. And therein, the athlete who belongs to a federation needs to be better educated or briefed by the officials and authorities so that they fully comprehend the gravity of a scenario and understand the dos and don’ts beyond their sport. 

It is not enough for an athlete to only be aware of the rules of her sport, or food and nutrition.To carry themselves when they travel abroad as representatives of the country is an important education that is perhaps lacking in our athletes and the larger contingent, including the support staff. According to some reports, Antim’s support staff were involved in the brawl.Whatever the details, the fact remains that it was a grave error, to be inebriated and get into an altercation with the taxi driver. 

Before they leave Indian shores for any international competition, athletes and their support staff and all those who travel as part of the Indian contingent need to be briefed about any specific rules that might apply to different countries and events. And especially if they are very young and unexposed to the world like Antim, they need it more, so that a national embarrassment like yesterday never happens again. What happened did so because of systematic cracks. Athletes must abide by regulations, and the system must ensure they do so.

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