Indian Wrestler Vinesh Phogat received a warm welcome after she arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi on Sunday. The wrestler was disqualified from the 50kg final in the Paris Olympics due to being overweight by 100 grams.
Phogat, notably, looked extremely overwhelmed as she received a rousing welcome by her wrestling mates and Allies Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia.
The 29 year old broke down into tears after seeing the swarm of people gathered to celebrate Phogat’s Olympic heroics and thanked the nation for their constant support. She also hinted at her comeback and said “I would like to thank the entire country, I’m really lucky. Thanks for supporting me in my fight. It’s not over yet the fight will continue”
After Vinesh got hold of her emotions, she finally gave a broad smile as the people gathered continued to give her a rousing welcome.
An Emotional Journey
Phogat became the first Indian woman to qualify for the wrestling finals at the Olympics. However, Phoghat’s sport journey came to an end as she was disqualified on the morning of her final match against Sarah Hildebrandt for weighing 100g heavier than the 50 kg limit of the event.
After the unfortunate event, she also appealed against the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and United World Wrestling (UWW)’S decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). However, CAS dismissed her plea after a week-long hearing, leaving her empty handed.
Following this, Phogat announced her heartbreaking retirement and ended her sports journey and her dreams.On August 16 Phogat penned down a heartfelt letter narrating her journey of sports and the love and support she has received in her journey.
“….all I want to say is that we did not give up, our efforts did not stop, and we did not surrender but the clock stopped and the time was not fair. So was my fate,” she wrote, referring to the work she did with her team before the second-day weigh-in.
“To my team, my fellow Indians and my family, it feels like: the goal that we were working towards and what we had planned to achieve is unfinished, that something might always remain missing, and that things might never be the same again.
Glimmer of Hope
Vinesh announced her retirement from wrestling a day after being disqualified from the Olympics, but on Friday, she gave a glimmer of hope to her fans.
“Maybe under different circumstances, I could see myself playing till 2032, because the fight in me and wrestling in me will always be there. I can’t predict what the future holds for me, and what awaits me in this journey next, but I am sure that I will continue to fight always for what I believe in and for the right thing,” Phogat wrote.
