Champion wrestler Vinesh Phogat returned to India on Saturday after a disappointing disqualification at the Paris Olympics 2024, where she was found 100 grams overweight in the 50 kg final. Arriving at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport amid heavy security, Phogat was met with a large crowd of supporters.
Her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport for a joint silver medal was dismissed earlier this week, leading to her extended stay in Paris. After reaching Delhi to a rousing welcome, the ace wrestler said, “I thank all the countrymen, I am very fortunate.” A video showed Phogat breaking down witnessing people celebrating her.
London Olympics bronze medalist Gagan Narang, who was the Indian contingent’s chief de mission, praised Phogat as a champion, sharing a photo of them together at the Paris airport. A grand welcome is planned for Phogat in her native village, Balali, Haryana.
“Vinesh is returning to the country. People have come here at the airport to welcome her. People are also waiting to welcome her at our village. People are exciting to meet Vinesh and encourage her,” Vinesh Phogat’s brother Harvinder Phogat said.
The wrestler expressed sorrow over missing out on an Olympic medal, connecting her personal setback to the larger fight for women’s rights in India. In a three-page letter shared on the social media platform X on Friday night, Phogat suggested that she might return to the sport in the future. Earlier, Phogat had declared her retirement from the sport.