New Delhi: A group of 113 people endorsed a letter expressing ‘feminist solidarity’ with Vinesh Phogat following her disqualification from a crucial game in the Olympics, saying there “should be an investigation” into “where and by whom the mistake has been made”.“Congratulations!! You have not lost. You are our hero and will remain so,” the letter, also released in Hindi, opened by saying.It continued: “Yesterday in Paris you showed what you really are. Your skill is unmatched and there is no height that you can’t scale.”Asking Phogat not to be disappointed by what happened, the letter says, “We understand that it was not your responsibility to take care of your weight”, before calling for an investigation into the circumstances behind her disqualification.Phogat qualified for the final match in the 50 kg women’s freestyle wrestling event at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday (August 6), but was disqualified early today when she was found to weigh more than 50 kg.“Despite the best efforts by the team through the night, she weighed in a few grams over 50 kg this morning,” the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) said in a press release on Wednesday.According to The Hindu, which cited chief coach Virender Dahiya, Phogat weighed exactly 100 grams over 50 kg today.The Wrestling Federation of India has appealed to global wrestling governing body United World Wrestling (UWW) asking it to reconsider Phogat’s disqualification, and the IOA has lodged its “strong protest” with the UWW.The open letter to Phogat, the English version of which is reproduced in full at the end of this article, also expressed protest against her disqualification.“When you return from Paris, we will all meet once again at Jantar Mantar and celebrate your success,” the letter said, adding: “Winning a medal or not is not the measure of victory. The measure of success and victory is your determination and courage.”If she was not disqualified, Phogat was guaranteed at least a silver medal at the Olympics event today and was set to face off against the US’s Sarah Hildebrandt in the final. She had earlier beaten Japan’s Yui Susaki 3-2 in an upset.Last year, Phogat was at the forefront of protests against former Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is accused of sexually harassing multiple wrestlers and against whom a court ordered the framing of charges in May.During and following the protests, Phogat faced a vicious hate campaign, including death threats, unfold against her, with Singh and many others questioning her abilities.Singh denies the allegations against him. §OPEN LETTER TO VINESH PHOGATYOU ARE OUR CHAMPION!!Feminist solidarity with VineshDear Vinesh,Congratulations!!You have not lost. You are our hero and will remain so. Yesterday in Paris you showed what you really are. Your skill is unmatched and there is no height that you can’t scale.Please don’t be disappointed by this ‘disqualification’. We understand that it was not your responsibility to take care of your weight. There should be an investigation as to where and by whom the mistake has been made. We express our protest against your disqualification and would like to request you not to feel sad in this moment.You will keep flying high, do not lose hope. You are and will remain our hero.When you return from Paris, we will all meet once again at Jantar Mantar and celebrate your success.Winning a medal or not is not the measure of victory. The measure of success and victory is your determination and courage.Justice-loving and feminist saathis of India and around the world were, are and will always be with you! ✊🏽Devyani Bharadwaj, Educationist and Writer, Delhi Annie Raja NFIWKavita Srivastava, PUCLJagmati Sangwan, AIDWASarika Shrivastava NFIWDr. Seema Jain, AIDWA RajasthanG. Jhansi, Poonam Kaushik, All India Coordination POW -PMS- IJM.Neeta Hardikar, Anna Suraksha Adhikar Abhiyan, GujaratMaya John, Centre for Struggling Women (CSW)Nivedita Jha, NFIWAdv Vertika Mani, PUCL DelhiMeera Sanghamitra (All India Feminist Alliance – ALIFA and NAPM) Deepthi Sirla, ALIFA, Telangana Asomi Gogoi, Asom Mahila Sangha (NFIW)Suneetha, ALIFA, Hyderabad.Mariam Dhawale AIDWANavsharan Singh, Social Activist, Delhi and Panjab P. K. Sreemathi AIDWAPoushali Basak, Researcher and ActivistAnkana Dey, Social Psychologist, Queer Feminist ActivistSejal Dand, Gujarat Mahila ManchNisha Biswas, Feminists in Resistance, KolkataNita Mahadev, Gujarat Lok SamitiSaloni Mundra, Aajeevika BureauSeema Azad, PUCL, Uttar PradaehAruna Roy, NFIWMeena Saraswathi Seshu, Sangli, MaharashtraPrakriti, All India Feminist Alliance, DelhiVarsha Bharghavi: Varsha, Research Scholar, Telangana Laxmi Murthy, BangaloreMamata Dash, ALIFA, DelhiJarjum Ete Arunachal: Jarjum Gamlin Ete, APWWS/AIUFWP, Arunachal PradeshAnannya Chatterjee, PhD student, DelhiShiva, ALIFA, DelhiHarpuneet Kaur, ALIFA , PFUS, PU ChandigarhTashi Choedup, Buddhist monastic, Social Justice activist, HyderabadJashodhara, UttarakhandAditi Maddali, Researcher, BombayArundhati Ghosh, Cultural Practitioner, BangaloreDr. Vandana Prasad, Public Health Professional, New DelhiK. Sajaya, Independent Journalist, HyderabadAnita Cheria, OpenSpace, BangaloreKhairunnisha, Social Activist, Gujarat Radhika Desai, Marathmoli, MaharashtraSimin Akhter, CTF, ALIFADr. Sanju ALIFA, Sadulpur, RajasthanPrerna Mishra, Independent Researcher, BhopalS. Seethalakshmi, independent Researcher, HyderabadAjitha George, social activist, JharkhandMadhuri, Social Activist, Madhya PradeshSunita Singh, Social Activist, Uttar PradeshRenuka Kad, Social Activist, AurangabadJ Devika, feminist scholar, KeralaSwathi SB, Health Rights Researcher, BangaloreTejaswini Madabhushi, Hyderabad for Feminism, HyderabadNandita Haksar, Feminist, Human Rights ActivistDr. Gabriele Dietrich, Penn Urimay Iyakkam and ALIFA-NAPM, TNKamal Thakar, Sahiyar Sangathan, GujaratChayanika Shah Hasrat-e-Zindagi Mamuli MumbaiRoshani Sadhu, Panam Mahila Sangathan, GujaratNeelima, Nishant Natya Manch Sumedha Bodh, PUCL Delhi Tarkeshwari Negi, PUCL Delhi Mani Mala, PUCL Delhi Runu Chakraborty, PUCL DelhiDr. Veena Shatrughna, Scientist & Nutritionist, Bengaluru Roshani Sadhu, Shehara, GujaratTarulata Chauhan, Godhra, Gujarat Madhuben, Morbi, GujaratNikita Naidu, Climate Action, HyderabadMithun, Public Health Researcher, HyderabadAnita Mathur, Women’s Activist, JaipurShabnam, Vishakha, JaipurShakuntala Pamecha, Rajsamand Jan Vikas SansthanVijaylakshmi, PUCL, JaipurNishat Hussain and Jahanara, National Muslim Women’s Welfare, Society, JaipurDr. Malti Gupta, RUWA and NFIWDr. Pritam Pal, Women’s Activist, JaipurSumitra Thacker, Gujarat, Manjula Pradeep, social and women’s activist, GujaratKailas Baria, Social Worker, GujaratJahnvi Andharia, New DelhiApeksha Vora, BengaluruAnuradha Banerji, Independent Researcher cum Saheli, women’s resource centreVani Subramaniam, Independent Film Make, Savita Sharma, Saheli Women’s Resource centreAshima Roy Chowdhury, Saheli Women’s Resource CentreSmita Gupta, Economist, N Delhi Amrita Howlader, Feminist in Resistance, KolkataP Padmavathi, Ex MLADr. Shashilata Puri, RUWAAbha Bhaiya, Feminist Activist, Rajasthan and Himachal PradeshLara Jesani, PUCL, MaharashtraMamta Jaitly, Vividha Mahila Alaikhan evam Sandharbh KendraDr. Renuka Pamecha, Women’s Rehabilitation GroupKanchan Mathur, Independent Scholar Prof. Asha Kaushik, RUWANisha Sidhu, NFIWIsha Sharma, NFIW 100.Komal Srivastava, BGVS 101. Asha Mishra, BGVS 102.Aishwarya Ravikumar, PUCL Karnataka 103. Manavi Atri, PUCL Karnataka 104. Sumitra Chopra, AIDWA 105. Natasha Narwal, Research Scholar and Activist 106.Gargie Mangulkar, Pune 107.Vanita Nayak Mukherjee, Researcher and Independent Activist 108. Sadhna Arya, Retired Professor, Delhi University 109.Ammu Abraham, Mumbai 110. Tarini Manchanda, ALIFA Delhi D. Nagasaila Advocate, Madras High Court 112. NS Tanvi, Advocate Madras High court 113. Sitara, PUCL, Karoli ,