Antim Panghal Faced Deportation for Disciplinary Breaches

On August 8th, Wrestler Antim Panghal and her team along with her sister, Nisha were deported for a significant disciplinary breach. Antim Panghal’s deportation from the Paris Olympics 2024 hinges on the strict eligibility rules outlined by the Olympic Charter. The Charter, under Rule 41, mandates that athletes must comply with the laws of the host country and the IOC’s eligibility criteria. If an athlete violates these rules, such as through residency or nationality discrepancies, they face deportation or disqualification.

The young wrestler was found to have handed her official accreditation card to her sister who was not noticed at the entrance but, was caught by French authorities while leaving the Games Village. Panghal claims that her sister was merely fetching her belongings and there was no malicious intention on her part. Panghal issued a video clarification after there were rumours of indiscipline during the Paris Olympics 2024. Amid her clarifications, the Indian Olympic Association has refuted the myriad of internet claims that they’re planning to ban Panghal for the fiasco at the Paris Olympics. The IOA, however, is planning to issue some kind of sanctions or at the least warnings in order to ensure strict adherence of the rules and the extent of the same.

Panghal dismissed the claims and suggested that her sister was not detained by the Paris police and was just asked to come for verification. The Indian wrestler also said that her tickets were already booked and she was not asked to leave Paris by the Indian Olympic authorities. Apart from this, Panghal’s personal support staff Vikas and Bhagat travelled in an inebriated state in a taxi and refused to pay the driver who then called the police further worsening the team’s stance.

This situation essentially underscores the importance of ensuring disciplinary behaviour amongst participants and having a no-tolerance policy for any kind of regulatory non-compliance. Between the IOA and the local authorities attempting to deal with the  situation, Antim’s sudden deportation has led to overshadow her triumphant moment in women’s wrestling. Panghal is now faced with the humongous task of rebuilding her reputation and repairing her image as someone representing India.