On Saturday, celebrated wrestler Vinesh Phogat received a warm and enthusiastic welcome upon her return to India from Paris. Hundreds of supporters gathered at IGI Airport to show their solidarity with Vinesh, who had been disqualified from the Olympics for being overweight despite reaching the 50kg final. Her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for a shared medal was unsuccessful. Following her arrival, a large crowd accompanied her during a roadshow from Delhi to her native village of Balali. The 135km journey, which took nearly 13 hours, featured several felicitations by supporters and local ‘khap’ panchayats in various villages.
In Balali, Vinesh was honored with a gold medal by community elders, as noted in a post by Sportstar on X.
Expressing her gratitude for the grand reception, Vinesh stated that it would be a significant honor for her if she could train women wrestlers from her village who surpass her achievements. She was visibly moved by the heartfelt welcome and the emotional support from her neighbors and friends.
The disqualification had sparked considerable controversy in both India and the wrestling community. Vinesh’s appeal against the disqualification was denied by CAS.
Arriving in Balali around midnight, Vinesh was met with tears and smiles from her friends and family. Exhausted from her long journey, she addressed the gathering, expressing her desire for future wrestlers from her village to achieve even greater success.
“It would be disappointing if no wrestler emerged from this village. We have paved the way with our achievements and given hope. I urge everyone to support the women here. They need your support, hope, and trust to succeed,” Vinesh said.
She added, “They can achieve a lot with your backing. I am forever grateful to this nation and village for the love and respect I have received. Whether my wrestling skills are a gift from God or the result of hard work, I am eager to share what I have learned with the women of this village and hope they surpass my accomplishments. I would be proud if wrestlers from my village break my records.”
Vinesh, a two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Asian Games champion, and eight-time Asian Championships medallist, concluded by thanking everyone for their late-night support.
