Vinesh Phogat with husband Somvir Rathee© Instagram
Vinesh Phogat has seen a lot in the last fortnight. From the high of becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to enter an Olympics final to the low of getting disqualified for being 100 gram overweight on the morning of the gold medal bout, Vinesh has seen a lot. Her appeal for a shared silver medal was dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) too. The support and adulation for Vinesh has not been short though. From the time she landed in India from Paris, Vinesh has been showered with love wherever she has gone. There have been announcements of cash prize too. However, her husband Somvir Rathee has claimed that few organisations have made the false claims of giving her cash prize of ober Rs 16 crore.
"Vinesh Phogat has not received any money from the following organizations, businessmen, companies and parties. All of you are our well-wishers, please do not spread false news. This will not only harm us but will also harm social values. This is just a means to gain cheap popularity," Rathee wrote in a post on X.
— Somvir Rathee (@somvir_rathee) August 18, 2024
Celebrated wrestler Vinesh Phogat on Saturday received a grand welcome on her return to the country with hundreds of supporters gathering outside the IGI airport, showing immense solidarity with her.
Stars such as Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and panchayat leaders received Vinesh, who endured a heartbreaking exit at the Paris Olympics where she was disqualified for being overweight on the day of her 50kg final.
Heavily garlanded, Vinesh stood in an open Jeep and thanked all the supporters. Congress leader Deepender Hooda accompanied Vinesh and offered her sweets.
"I thank the entire country for support," she said, her hands folded in humility.
There was a thick security cover as Vinesh, who was found 100 grams overweight at the Olympics, landed in the national capital.
Vinesh's caravan left for her native village Balali in Haryana and on the way she met her supporters, positioned at different spots. Hooda presented a mace, a 'symbol of victory' to Vinesh, who got emotional and was consoled by her husband Somvir.
With PTI inputs