Vinesh was disqualified from the 50kg freestyle final after being found 100gm overweight. As she arrived home, a robust security presence was evident at the airport, besides the family and friends, including Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, who came to welcome Vinesh.
“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. They are excited to meet Vinesh and encourage her,” her brother Harvinder Phogat said.
After her disqualification earlier this month for being slightly over the weight limit (50kg) on the day of her gold-medal match, Phogat remained in Paris to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, seeking a shared silver medal. However, her appeal was ultimately rejected on Wednesday.
“I thank the entire country, I am very fortunate (to receive so much love),” said Vinesh soon after she landed.
Vinesh was scheduled to compete against Sarah Ann Hildebrandt from the United States in the women’s 50kg final on August 7. After her disqualification, Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, whom Vinesh had defeated in the semifinal, was promoted to the final but lost and took home a silver medal.
Gagan Narang, the bronze medalist shooter from the London Olympics who served as the Indian contingent’s Chef de Mission in Paris, shared a photograph with Phogat at the Paris airport, referring to her as a champion.
Both of them were on the same flight back to Delhi.
“She came as a champion on day 1 into the games village and she will always remain our champion. Sometimes one doesn’t need an Olympic medal to inspire a billion dreams.. @vineshphogat you have inspired generations. Salute to your grit,” Narang posted on X.
The day after her disqualification, Vinesh shared a gut-wrenching post on social media to announce her retirement from wrestling.
“Mom wrestling won against me, I lost. Forgive me, your dream and my courage have been broken. I don’t have any more strength now. Goodbye Wrestling 2001-2024. I will always be indebted to you all for forgiveness,” Phogat said in her post, which was in Hindi.
