‘Love and Respect I Have Received is Worth More Than 1,000 Gold’, Says Vinesh Phogat After

Vinesh Phogat returned to home soil on Saturday following her watershed moment at the Paris Olympics 2024, that brought the nation to a halt. The 29-year-old wrestler made the finals of the 50 Kg freestyle event at the quadrennial event in France before being disqualified from the championship bout for being slightly overweight.

She appealed the DQ result at the Court of Arbitration of Sport, which eventually dismissed her claim for a joint silver medal.

Despite the heartbreak, the wrestler received a hero’s welcome as the nation gathered at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi to show their admiration and love for the wrestler.

She was accompanied by fellow wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik on the drive to her native village in Charkhi Dadri, Haryana from the capital city airport.

Vinesh expressed her gratitude to the people of the nation for their unyielding support during the time of tribulation.

“Although they didn’t give me the Gold medal, people here have given me that,” Vinesh said in a heartfelt tone.

She added that the outpouring of love and affection she has received upon her return to the homeland is worth more to her than any number of Olympic medals.

“The love and the respect that I have received is more than 1,000 Gold medals,” she added to a raucous ovation.

Vinesh scripted history in the French capital as she became the first woman grappler from the country to reach the final of a wrestling event. She reached the summit clash with statement wins over Japan’s Yui Susaki, Oksana Livach of Ukraine and Cuban Yusneylys Guzman on the first day of the event.

However, calamity struck ahead of the final as the Indian weighed in around 100 grams more than the permissible weight on the day of the final and was handed a DQ result.

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And despite the failed appeal at the CAS, Vinesh garnered the respect of the entire nation for her valiant showing at the sporting extravaganza.