More valuable than gold medals: Vinesh Phogat overwhelmed by emotional Delhi reception following Paris Olympics heartbreak

New Delhi: Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat was greeted with an extraordinary show of support upon her return to New Delhi on Saturday. Thousands of admirers gathered outside IGI Airport, offering a grand welcome to the athlete who faced a major setback at the Paris Olympics earlier this month. The emotional reception was marked by the presence of fellow wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, along with local panchayat leaders.

Heartbreak in Paris

On August 6, Vinesh Phogat made history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final. However, her aspirations were dashed the following day. During the morning weigh-in for the women’s 50kg freestyle wrestling final, Vinesh was disqualified for being 100 grams overweight, a decision that denied her a medal. Devastated, the 29-year-old initially announced her retirement. Despite this, she pursued a challenge against the disqualification, appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for a joint silver medal. Unfortunately, her appeal was rejected on Wednesday by the Sole Arbitrator.

Emotional Jeep parade 

As Vinesh arrived at the airport, she was greeted with lavish garlands and an overwhelming display of affection from her supporters. Moved by the warm reception, she broke down in tears. She was then honored in an open jeep, which made its way through the bustling streets of Delhi, eventually reaching her hometown of Balali in Haryana. The journey was accompanied by a group of 50 supporters who stopped at a temple in Dwarka to offer prayers before continuing to Balali.

Things might never be the same again: Vinesh 

Upon reaching her hometown, Vinesh expressed her heartfelt gratitude to her supporters. "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," she said, visibly touched by the outpouring of support.

In her first comments following the disqualification, Vinesh reflected on her future in wrestling. She mentioned that under different circumstances, she could envision herself competing until 2032, but expressed uncertainty about her future, acknowledging that "things might never be the same again."