Vinesh Phogat, the renowned Indian wrestler, returned to her village in the Charkhi Dadri district on Saturday morning after a difficult Paris Olympics campaign. The journey from the airport to her home took over 12 hours, a testament to the outpouring of support from her fans who lined the highway to welcome her home. Thousands of people, including fellow wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, were at the airport to greet her, showering her with garlands and cheers. Despite the overwhelming display of affection, the disappointment of the Olympics was evident in Vinesh’s tearful eyes.
She had been disqualified from the 50kg freestyle gold-medal match for being 100gm overweight, a decision that shattered her hopes for a medal at the Games. Heartbroken by the setback, Vinesh announced her retirement from wrestling the following day. To add to her disappointment, her appeal for a joint silver medal was subsequently dismissed by the Court of Arbitration of Sport.
Despite the devastating experience, Vinesh expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support she received from her fans, family and friends. “Missing the Olympic medal is the biggest wound in my life,” she said, “I don’t know how much time it would take to heal this wound, I don’t know if I would pursue wrestling or not, but the kind of courage I got today (Saturday), I want to use that in the right direction.”
The 2018 Asian Games gold medallist, a three-time Olympian and winner of three Commonwealth Games gold medals and two World Championship bronzes, acknowledged the impact of the welcome she received. “As I got love from my fellow Indians, my village and my family members, I guess I would get some courage to make this wound heal. Maybe, I could return to wrestling,” she added. The outpouring of support from her fans has given Vinesh hope and may even lead to her return to the sport she loves.
