Champion’s Welcome for Vinesh Phogat on Returning from Paris

New Delhi: Indian wrestling star Vinesh Phogat was given a grand welcome like a medal winning champion when she landed in New Delhi from the Paris Olympics.

The 29-year-old athlete, who missed an Olympic medal by being around 100gm overweight, was recieved at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport by Congress leader Deepender Hooda, fellow wrestlers Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia.

Phogat was welcomed hundreds of fans at Indira Gandhi International Airport. Overwhelmed by the show of support, Phogat broke down in tears. Sakshi Malik comforted her.

“Champion sister Vinesh Phogat, the entire 140 crore Indians consider you a gold medalist. On behalf of all the countrymen, I presented Hanuman ji’s mace, a symbol of victory,” Hooda wrote on ‘X’.

Phogat’s Olympic journey was marked a heartbreak, when on August 7, just before her historic gold medal bout in the women’s 50kg wrestling category, she was found to be 100 grams overweight. Fot she was disqualified from the tournament.

Her appeal for a joint silver was also rejected by CAS.