Vinesh Phogat paid obeisance at the Golden Temple on Friday and prayed to Waheguru to give her strength. After offering prayers at the Golden Temple, Vinesh said while speaking to reporters, “I am feeling very good after coming here. I am feeling a positive energy. I prayed to Waheguru to give me strength.”
It has been a topsy-turvy month for Vinesh after she reached the final of the women’s 50kg event but still 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 pic.twitter.com/qDGBd0cXgA Praveen Panghal (@ppanghalch) August 30, 2024
However, things went downhill after she was disqualified before the final after breaching the 50kg weight limit. A day after her heartbreaking disqualification, Vinesh announced her decision to retire from wrestling. She also made a plea to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to award her a joint silver medal.
The CAS deferred the verdict a couple of times and eventually dismissed the application filed by Vinesh for a silver medal in the women’s 50kg event at the Paris Olympics. Despite not receiving a medal for her efforts and landmark wins at the Olympics, an excited crowd of thousands welcomed the wrestler like they would have welcomed with a medal around her neck on August 17.
People thronged in thousands to get a glimpse of one of the country’s most celebrated athletes of recent times, waiting to exchange a few words and get a selfie with her. She was welcomed with garlands and flowers in her hometown, Bhiwani. Since announcing her retirement, Vinesh has also hinted towards a possible change in heart and reversing her decision.
In a statement that she posted on her social media account, Vinesh said, “Maybe under different circumstances, I could see myself playing till 2032 because the fight in me and wrestling in me will always be there.”