Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat was greeted with a warm welcome in Jhajjar on Saturday following a disappointing end to her Paris Olympics 2024 campaign. Phogat, who was accompanied by fellow wrestler Bajrang Punia, was met by a large crowd of fans, friends, and family eager to show their support.
"We are wrestling for this love, there is nothing greater than this love...People of Jhajjar have always gave us grand welcome whenever we won a medal for the country...Today also they are welcoming us grandly," Bajrang Punia 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.