Ahead of her women’s 50 kg freestyle final, grappler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the Paris Olympics after being found overweight (Getty Images)
Phogat said such a gesture will also encourage other women sportspersons that their communities are there to support them even in their lean phase.
Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who was disqualified from the 50-kg final match in the recent Paris games, was honoured with a gold medal by the Sarvkhap Panchayat here on Sunday.
“My fight has not ended, it has rather just begun. The fight for our daughters’ honour has just started. We said the same thing during our sit-in,” Phogat said, addressing an event organised to felicitate her.
She was part of the agitation by wrestlers, mostly from Haryana, against the then Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP leader Brijbhushan Sharan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment last year.
“When I could not play in Paris, I thought I was very unfortunate but after returning to India and experiencing all the love and support here, I feel that I am very fortunate,” she said.
Phogat said such a gesture will also encourage other women sportspersons that their communities are there to support them even in their lean phase.
“I will forever be indebted for this honour which is above any medal,” she added.
Phogat, who hails from Haryana’s Balali, faced a heartbreaking exit after being disqualified on the day of her 50-kg final match at the Paris Olympics.
Ace wrestler Vinesh Phogat arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Saturday with stars such as Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and panchayat leaders receiving Vinesh, after she endured a heartbreaking exit at the Paris Olympics where she was disqualified for being overweight on the day of her 50kg final.
The circumstances leading to Phogat’s disqualification were detailed by her Paris Olympics coach, Woller Akos, who described the intense efforts made to help her meet the weight requirement. Akos revealed, in a now-deleted Facebook post, that the night before the final weigh-in, the wrestler underwent a grueling and dangerous weight-cutting process.
Despite the team’s efforts, Phogat was unable to make weight, leading to her disqualification from the final bout. And upon appealing to clinch her a joint Silver for her efforts and victories, Phogat’s appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) was also dismissed on Wednesday.
(with PTI inputs)
Read More: ‘My Fight Has Just Begun’: Vinesh Phogat Determined After Being Honoured With Gold Medal in
