Three-time Olympian Vinesh Phogat was conferred with an honorary gold medal by the Sarvkhap Panchayat on Sunday.
The honor was given to the former Indian wrestler after she failed to meet the weight category in the Women’s Freestyle 50-kg final of the Paris 2024. On receiving the medal she said, “When I could not play in Paris, I thought I was very unfortunate but after returning to India and experiencing all the love and support here, I feel that I am very fortunate”.
“I will forever be indebted for this honor which is above any medal,” she added.
Vinesh, who was vocal about the then Wrestling Federation Of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Singh over his case on sexual harassment, said that her fight for the daughters of the country has just begun.
“My fight has not ended, it has rather just begun. The fight for our daughters’ honour has just started. We said the same thing during our sit-in,” Phogat said, addressing an event organised to felicitate her.
For the unversed, the two-time World Championships bronze medallist was disqualified ahead of the final, for failing to meet her weight by a little over 100 gms. The premier Indian wrestler and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had appealed to the CAS for a joint silver medal alongside Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman in the 50kg weight category.
On her arrival to India, the wrestler was welcomed by Rio 2016 bronze medallist Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI), New Delhi before setting on a roadshow to her hometown.
