Vinesh Phogat expressed that it would be a source of immense pride if she could train young women wrestlers from her village, Balali and see them surpass her achievements.
During her journey from Delhi to Balali, Vinesh was honored by supporters and ‘khap’ panchayats in several villages. The 135-kilometer trip, which usually takes a few hours, stretched to almost 13 hours as people gathered to celebrate her. This followed a massive welcome by hundreds of supporters at IGI Airport, despite the disappointment of her being disqualified for being overweight after reaching the 50kg final at the Olympics.
Her disqualification caused a significant uproar in India and the wrestling community. Vinesh’s appeal against the decision was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Arriving at her native village around midnight, Vinesh was greeted with warmth by her neighbors and friends, who admired her courage. Exhausted from her journey, she addressed the gathering before retiring for the night, expressing her hope that wrestlers from Balali would one day exceed her accomplishments.
“It would be disheartening if no wrestler emerges from this village,” Vinesh said. “We’ve paved the way and given hope through our achievements. I urge everyone to support the women here. They need your trust and encouragement to replace us in the future.”
She added, “I don’t know if my skills are god-given or a result of hard work, but I’m eager to share them with my sisters in this village. My dream is to see them break my records. I’ll take pride in saying I trained them.”
Vinesh, a two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist and Asian Games champion with eight Asian Championships medals, reiterated her commitment to continuing her fight against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). “Our struggle hasn’t ended; it will continue,” she stated.
Addressing the press in Balali, she reflected on her Olympic journey, describing her disqualification as a deep wound. “I’m not sure if I’ll continue wrestling, but the support I received today gives me strength to move forward.”
Her comments were brief, acknowledging the ongoing legal battle against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, whom she and fellow wrestlers accused of sexual harassment. The case is currently being heard in a Delhi court.
The support from her village and fellow Indians has renewed Vinesh’s courage, giving her hope that she might one day return to wrestling. “The love and respect I received will help heal this wound,” she said.
However, her homecoming was not without controversy. In an emotional social media post, Vinesh reflected on her childhood dreams and the struggles she faced after losing her father but made no mention of her uncle, Mahavir Phogat, who introduced her to wrestling. This omission upset her cousin sisters, Geeta and Babita Phogat, who expressed their disappointment through cryptic posts on social media.
Geeta wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “The results of deeds are simple: deceit meets deceit, if not today, then tomorrow,” while her husband Pawan Saroha reminded Vinesh of Mahavir’s pivotal role in her career. Babita also commented, “Every success is a defeat if the sole purpose is to bring others down.”
Despite the mixed emotions surrounding her return, Vinesh remains committed to fighting for the honor of the women in her village and is grateful for the support she has received throughout her journey.
With inputs from PTI