Paris [France], August 10 : After Vinesh Phogat's disqualification at the Paris Olympics final, International Olympic Committee (IOC) member and chairperson of the Reliance Foundation, Nita Ambani called the 29-year-old a "true fighter and a winner".
Following her disqualification from the Paris Olympics final, Phogat announced her retirement from wrestling on Thursday. Phogat had advanced to the gold medal bout by defeating Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez 5-0 in the semi-finals on Tuesday night. She was set to compete against the United States' Sarah Ann Hildebrandt for the gold medal but was disqualified on Wednesday for breaching the weight limit.
After her disqualification, Phogat requested the CAS to award her the silver medal.
Speaking at the event, Nita Ambani said that Vinesh's spirit has inspired the entire nation and called him a "champion of champions".
"I would now like to salute a young girl who's not present here today. But her spirit has inspired the entire nation. She is a true fighter and a winner, not just in the ring but in life. A very brave daughter of our soil and a champion of champions."
Earlier, Vinesh Phogat shared an emotional message on X following her disqualification from the Paris Olympics final.
In an emotional post on X, Phogat expressed her sense of defeat and gratitude, stating, "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."
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