Vinesh Phogat returned from the Paris Olympics on Saturday morning around 10 am and it took over 12 hours for her to reach her village in the Charkhi Dadri district as people swarmed the highway en route to show their support for the wrestler whose Paris Olympics campaign ended in a heartbreak.
Vinesh had tears in her eyes seeing thousands of people at the airport to welcome her. With garlands around her neck and fellow wresters Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik by her side, the adulation never stopped until she arrived home, where it reached a crescendo.
The three-time Olympian understandably feels robbed of a medal at the Paris Games, after she was disqualified on the day of her 50kg freestyle gold-medal match for being 100gm overweight. Heartbroken, Vinesh announced her retirement from wrestling the next day and then suffered another jolt when her appeal for a joint silver medal was dismissed by the Court of Arbitration of Sport.
1/9:Vinesh Phogat greeted with love upon return from Olympics setback
Agencies
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<p><br /><br />Vinesh Phogat, a renowned wrestler, was greeted with a warm and enthusiastic reception upon her arrival back in India.<br /><br /><br /></p>Agencies
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A large crowd of supporters, numbering in the hundreds, assembled at the Indira Gandhi International Airport to express their unwavering support and solidarity with the athlete.Agencies
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Vinesh was warmly welcomed by a gathering that included luminaries like Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and panchayat leaders.Agencies
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<p>Due to her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport seeking a shared silver medal, which was ultimately rejected on Wednesday, Vinesh was required to remain in Paris for an extended period.<br /><br /><br /></p>Agencies
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<p><br /><br />Adorned with numerous garlands, Vinesh expressed her gratitude to all her supporters while standing in an open Jeep.<br /><br /><br /></p>Agencies
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<p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Vinesh's mother, Premlata said that the country has given her more honour than the gold medal.</p>Agencies
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<p>Vinesh was scheduled to compete against American wrestler Sarah Ann Hildebrandt for the gold medal on August 7. However, she was disqualified from participating in the final after failing to meet the weight requirement.<br /><br /><br /></p>Agencies
9/9:Vinesh Phogat
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(49, 49, 49); font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">"Maa kushti (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 social media post.</p>Agencies"I just want to say that missing the Olympic medal is the biggest wound in my life," she said, as quoted by PTI, upon reaching her village late on Saturday night.
"I don't know how much time it would take to heal this wound, I don't know if I would pursue wrestling or not, but the kind of courage I got today (Saturday), I want to use that in the right direction," said Vinesh, acknowledging the love and support of his fans, family and friends.
The 2018 Asian Games gold medallist, who has also won three Commonwealth Games gold medals and two World Championship bronze, said the kind of welcome she has received despite the setback, it has given her a lot of courage.
"As I got love from my fellow Indians, my village and my family members, I guess I would get some courage to make this wound heal. Maybe, I could return to wrestling," she added.
