Vinesh Phogat arrives in India after Paris heartbreak, breaks down in tears

Indian wrestling star Vinesh Phogat arrived in India for the first time since her Paris Olympics heartbreak, and the star was given a grand reception which even reduced her to tears.

After what had been a tumultuous and anxious week for the wrestler, Vinesh touched down at the Delhi International Airport on August 17, and was welcomed with loud cheers. Upon her witnessing the reception, Vinesh could not help but get emotional.

Even ahead of Vinesh reaching back to Delhi, the Indian wrestler’s fans, friends and family had already gathered in large numbers outside the Delhi International Airport. Vinesh was also welcomed on her India return by former wrestler Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, who greeted the Paris Games star with a hug. In what was an emotional moment, both Vinesh and Sakhi Malik could be seen reducing to tears while they exchanged a hug outside the airport.

The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) finally denied Vinesh Phogat’s appeal for a shared silver medal after the decision faced a deadline-deadly three times. The CAS ultimately released its operative verdict on Wednesday, 14 August, where it decided to uphold the decision of the International Olympic Committee. The wrestler had earlier appealed for a joint silver medal at the Paris Olympics after she was dismissed on the day of her gold medal match. Vinesh had weighed in at 50.100 kgs, which was 100 grams over the weight limit for her final bout.

Vinesh’s Paris Olympics campaign saw her showcase some tremendous grit, and shock everyone from the very get-go after defeating Yui Susaki, one of the greatest modern-day wrestlers from Japan, and also the defending champion. After her disqualification, Vinesh had also called time on her wrestling career, but the speculations are still strong for the wrestler to reverse her decision.