Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat arrived in India on Saturday, August 17, 2024, to a hero's welcome, despite not securing a medal at the Paris Olympics 2024. The 29-year-old, who was disqualified from the gold medal bout in the 50kg wrestling category due to being slightly overweight, expressed that the heartfelt reception she received meant more to her than any gold medal. "Although they didn't give me the Gold medal, people here have given me that. The love and the respect that I have received is more than 1,000 Gold medals," Vinesh said.
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Fellow wrestler Bajrang Punia praised Phogat's reception.
"The love and respect that we have received... I told Vinesh (Phogat) that the love and respect she has received now is more than what she could've received after winning a Gold medal. I want to thank the people of the entire nation," he said.
Phogat had competed in the women’s freestyle 50kg wrestling event at the Olympics. She advanced to the final by defeating Cuba’s Yusneylys Guzmán. However, her Olympic dreams were dashed when she was disqualified from the final match against Sarah Hildebrandt for being 100 grams over the weight limit.
Following her disqualification, Phogat appealed the decision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and United World Wrestling (UWW) to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The CAS dismissed her appeal after a week-long hearing, ending her hopes of overturning the decision.
After disqualification, Phogat announced her retirement from international wrestling. Before her return to India, she shared her emotions and experiences with her fans through social media and hinted at the possibility of competing again at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. She also expressed her gratitude to her family for their support throughout her career.