On Friday, Vinesh Phogat offered prayers at the Golden Temple and prayed to Waheguru for strength. After offering prayers at the Golden Temple, Vinesh told reporters, “I feel very good after coming here. I feel positive energy. I prayed to Waheguru for strength.”
It has been a month of ups and downs for Vinesh, who made it to the final of the women’s 50kg category and returned to India empty-handed. On August 7, Sarah Ann Hildebrandt of the United States stood between Vinesh and the gold medal.
#VineshPhogat@Phogat_Vinesh image.twitter.com/qDGBd0cXgAPraveen Panghal (@ppanghalch) August 30, 2024
However, things went downhill after she was disqualified before the final for exceeding the 50kg weight limit. A day after her heartbreaking disqualification, Vinesh announced her decision to retire from wrestling. She also requested the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to award her a joint silver medal.
The CAS postponed the verdict a couple of times and eventually dismissed Vinesh’s application for a silver medal in the women’s 50kg event at the Paris Olympics. Despite not receiving a medal for her historic efforts and victories at the Olympics, an excited crowd of thousands welcomed the wrestler as if she had a medal hanging around her neck on August 17.
Thousands of people thronged to catch a glimpse of one of the country’s most celebrated sportswomen of recent times, hoping to exchange a few words and take a selfie with her. She was greeted with garlands and flowers in her hometown Bhiwani. Since announcing her retirement, Vinesh has also hinted at a possible change of heart and reversing her decision.
In a statement posted on his social media account, Vinesh said, “Maybe, under different circumstances, I could see myself playing till 2032 because the fight in me and the wrestling in me will always be there.”
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