Wrestler Vinesh Phogat arrived in India on Saturday, August 17, and received a warm welcome from fans and fellow wrestlers, including Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia. An emotional Phogat thanked the nation for their unwavering support throughout her journey in the Paris Olympics 2024 and vowed to continue her fight. "I want to thank the people of the country who were supporting us in our fight. Our fight is not over yet," Phogat said.
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Phogat made history by becoming the first Indian woman to qualify for the final of the women’s freestyle 50kg wrestling event at the Olympics. She reached the final after 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.
In the wake of her 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.