Vinesh Phogat India Arrival Highlights: Wrestler felicitated at her village in Balali

Nitin Sharma: That’s the first pagdi to be worn by Vinesh this night.

Nitin Sharma: The village ladies applaud when Vinesh is handed the first pagdi to be worn.

That’s the number of turbans waiting for Vinesh Phogat. Nitin Sharma with the photo. 

Nitin Sharma: Finally Vinesh has arrived. Heads first to the temple. 

The women are getting a glimpse of Vinesh close from stage.

Vinesh Phogat: About 40-50 women from the village are cheering every time Vinesh’s name is announced on stage. Vinesh is yet to arrive at the Balali village.

Arshad Nadeem has already been accorded several high-level ceremonies in Pakistan, but what has caught the attention of fans has been how his father-in-law gifted him a buffalo for his Olympic record-breaking feat at the Paris Olympics.

Expectedly, Neeraj Chopra was asked about this unique gift when he held a briefing for Indian journalists after his silver medal at Paris 2024.

“I was gifted desi ghee once. Back home in Haryana also we get things like these as gifts: 10 kilo desi ghee or 50 kilos of desi ghee. Or ladoos. There are promises made: ‘If Neeraj wins this competition, I’ll give him 50 kgs of ghee.’ I would hear these things being said since I was kid, this was when circle kabaddi and wrestling were really popular. Ghee is gifted because we believe that it helps increase strength, which we need in our sport. Buffalos are also gifted in our region. Wrestlers and kabaddi players are also gifted things like Bullet motorbikes or tractors,” Neeraj Chopra told journalists with a smile at a press briefing organised by JSW Sports. (READ MORE)

Nitin Sharma, from Balali: The dholis have arrived and started playing the dhol beats as the wait for Vinesh continues.

The Paris 2024 heartbreak is a recent one. Vinesh Phogat though, is still haunted by the scenes that unravelled during the wrestlers protests. 

Recalling last year’s protest against former chief of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and a photo frame of her lying on the street near Jantar Mantar next to the Tricolour, she said, “During the wrestlers’ protest I was fighting hard to protect the sanctity of women in India, the sanctity and values of our Indian flag. But when I look at the pictures of me with the Indian flag from 28th May 2023, it haunts me,” she wrote in her recent social media post. (READ MORE)

Vinesh Phogat from Balali: "So what if they didn't give me the gold medal, but people here have given me that. The love and the respect that I have received is more than winning 1,000 Olympic gold medals."

A lovely long read from The Indian Express' Vinayakk Mohanarangan and Devendra Pandey. 

Harvinder Phogat, elder brother of Vinesh Phogat, spoke to The Indian Express about what drives his sister and her mindset after Paris 2024. 

"We have to stand up again. Till now, Vinesh and all of us have fought every situation and will continue to do so. That’s what I told Vinesh on the phone today after she missed the weight. While I am yet to meet her later in the evening, I know she is someone, who won’t be lamenting the fact that she missed the Olympic medal. She would be only thinking, what's next for her now and how many more trials will god put her through for her to rise again." (READ MORE)

Even though she didn't end up on the podium in Paris - her third Olympic games - there was something awe-inspiring about Vinesh Phogat's run. After all she had gone through. After all she had taken in her stride. After all those, and there were quite a few, who abandoned her along the way.

"Phogat was able to take her personal rage to the mat and succeed as a wrestler, now she faces a tougher task. She would now need to get over her Olympic hurt and move on. She might have been denied the silver but she will always be remembered as the one who was neither intimidated by Singh, nor ruffled by Susaki." 

REPLUG: Sandeep Dwivedi's column on the Indian wrestler. (READ HERE)

He may have become the first-ever Indian athlete to win a gold and a silver medal at the Olympics, but Neeraj Chopra is already setting targets for the future without resting on his laurels. 

“I was earlier thinking I will compete in the Zurich Diamond League (on Sept 5) and the Diamond League final in Brussels (Sept 14). But now I will compete in the Lausanne Diamond League on August 22. Bas ek mahine aur, phir break. (Will take a break after one month when the season winds up),” Chopra told journalists in a media briefing on Saturday. (READ MORE)

A good time to revisit Mihir Vasavda's piece from the Paris Olympics after a day of heartbreak unravelled for Vinesh Phogat in the French capital.

"Phogat was one win away from joining Bindra in the exclusive club of India’s individual gold medallists -- Neeraj Chopra is the only other member. On the morning of her Olympic final on Wednesday, however, she could not meet the weight criteria and was disqualified for being 100 grams overweight. Her day of triumph turned into torment." (READ MORE)

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat received a heartwarming welcome at the Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport on Saturday. The 29-year-old was disqualified from the recently concluded Paris Olympics 2024 after being 100 grams overweight in the 50 KG category for the final.

"I want to thank the people of the country who were supporting us in our fight. Our fight is not over yet," says Vinesh after arriving at Delhi's IGI airport following the heartbreak in Paris Olympics Stars such as Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and panchayat leaders received Vinesh

(READ MORE)

Nitin Sharma, from Balali: Yeh mhare desh ki chhori, duniya main naam kma rahi se, (This girl from our country is earning name in the whole world) sings women activist Santosh Deswal from stage. The DJ plays 'Karo swagat sherni ka, ladke aye se, Paris main naam uncha kar ke aayi se, char bar ke champion hara di se, fir bhi dokha (Welcome our lioness, she has returned from Paris after making a name for herself. She defeated the four-time champion, yet faced conspiracy), the new Haryanvi song that released two days ago has the village kids dancing.

The heartbreak in Paris, just another in her story, had led to Vinesh Phogat announcing her retirement from Wrestling. But in a long, personal, social media post after the events that unfolded in the French capital, the 29-year-old hinted that she hasn't completely shut all doors.

“The goal that we were working towards and what we had planned to achieve is unfinished, that something might always remain missing, and that things might never be the same again,” she wrote. (ICYMI, READ HERE)

Nitin Sharma: "Vinesh is the champion of champions. Bronze, silver aur gold ke bad diamond hota hai. (Above bronze, silver and gold is diamond). Vinesh is our diamond," says the announcer as the kids applaud.

It's been a long time coming, given the fact that she was the last of the Indian athletes to return home from Paris after the Olympics owing to the delayed hearing from the CAS, but Balali - and the rest of India - will finally get to hear from Vinesh Phogat. 

Our reporters on ground, Nitin Sharma and Namit Kumar have been bringing you live updates all through the day since Vinesh's touchdown in Delhi. Here's a gem: 

Nitin Sharma: "From trophies to cash awards to swords and maces, locals from Balali as well neighbouring villages have started to list their honours to Vinesh Phogat. (Express photo)

Despite the heartbreaking disqualification, Vinesh Phogat's contributions to Indian wrestling are undeniable. Her village will welcome her home as a hero on August 17th, recognizing her immense achievements and unwavering fighting spirit.

The first time I saw Vinesh was when her mother brought her to our family home in Balali village. She was small but held my fingers tightly when I held her hands. I told her parents how strong this young girl is. Rampal, my brother, and his wife Prem Lata asked me to treat her like my own daughters. That has been the case till now. I treat Vinesh and her sister Priyanka the same way I do my daughters Geeta, Babita, Ritu and Sangeeta. (READ MORE)

It’s Ragini time by local singers after the devotional songs at Balali village as the wait continues for Vinesh Phogat.

Vinesh Phogat’s appeal for a shared silver medal after she was disqualified from an Olympic final for missing weight has been rejected by the ad-hoc division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Paris, the court said Wednesday.

The Indian Olympic Association's President, PT Usha, expressed shock and disappointment at the court's decision, the Press Trust of India reported.

Phogat was disqualified from the final in the women's 50-kilogram freestyle category after weighing in 100 grams above the weight limit on August 7. Instead of becoming India’s first woman to compete in an Olympic final, she was denied a medal. She appealed, requesting credit for the three wins she earned after weighing in successfully on August 6.

After Vinesh Phogat was disqualifed from the gold medal bout at the Paris Olympics, American wrestling legend Jordan Burroughs had demanded that the Indian wrestler be given a silver medal. 

The American had also proposed some immediate rule changes via his X handle to avoid a repeat of the Vinesh Phogat-like situation.

1.) 1kg second Day Weight Allowance.

2.) Weigh-ins pushed from 8:30 am to 10:30 am.

3.) Forfeit will occur in future finals if the opposing finalist misses weight.

4.) After a semifinal victory, both finalists’ medals are secured even if weight is missed on Day 2. Gold can only be won by a wrestler who makes weight on the second day.

5.) Give Vinesh the silver medal.

Vinesh Phogat's legal team has presented a robust defense against her disqualification from the Paris Olympics wrestling competition. Central to their argument is the claim that logistical constraints and the grueling competition schedule contributed to the weight gain that led to her disqualification.

Vinesh Phogat's lawyers have emphasized the significant distance between the athletes' village and the competition venue, coupled with the tight turnaround time between matches, as key factors hindering Vinesh Phogat's ability to maintain her weight within the prescribed limit. They contend that the additional 100 grams gained was a natural consequence of the athlete's recovery process rather than an attempt to gain an unfair advantage.

Vinesh Phogat's legal counsel has further argued that the minimal weight excess should not have resulted in such a severe penalty. They have highlighted the disproportionate impact of disqualification, considering the athlete's hard-earned silver medal and the negligible competitive advantage gained from the extra weight.

By invoking principles of proportionality and fairness, the legal team seeks to overturn the disqualification and restore Phogat's rightful place in the competition.

At a press conference after Vinesh Phogat was disqualified, Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, Chief Medical Officer of the Indian Contingent in Paris, had explained why wrestlers opt to cut weight and not fight in categories that suit their natural body weight. Here's what Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala said:

“Wrestlers usually participate in a weight category less than their natural weight. It gives them an advantage since they are fighting with less stronger opponents. The process of weight cut prior to the weigh-in in the morning involves a calculated restriction of food and water. Besides this, the athlete needs to sweat and that is done through sauna and exercise,” Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala said.

“This weight cut has the benefit of putting you in a lighter category but does cause weakness and energy depletion. And this is counter-productive to participation. So, most wrestlers will thereafter go for some amount of energy restoration with some amount of water and higher energy foods. And these are usually given after the weigh-in,” Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala added.

Indian wrestling star Vinesh Phogat’s plea to be awarded a joint silver medal was dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport late on Wednesday. This marks another fresh setback for Vinesh Phogat who has suffered two previous heartbreaks at the Olympics besides two serious ACL injuries and two elbow surgeries.  

Vinesh suffered a devastating blow as she was disqualified from the 50kg wrestling competition at the Paris Olympics as she was 100 grams over the stipulated weight. The Olympic medal hopeful learnt her fate just hours before she was to compete in the gold medal match against USA's Sarah Hildebrandt.

The disqualification marks a heartbreaking end to Phogat's Olympic campaign, one in which she was poised to become the first Indian woman to win an Olympic gold or silver medal in wrestling, with Sakshi Malik previously having been the only female wrestler from India to win a bronze medal at the Olympic Games. 

Vinesh Phogat's journey to the Olympics has been marked by numerous challenges, including overcoming injuries and personal setbacks. 

A wide range of parties can initiate proceedings before the CAS, including athletes, sports organizations, event organizers, and commercial entities.

And now to patriotic songs reports Nitin Sharma

Now the DJ has tuned into the devotional songs as the wait continues! (Nitin Sharma)

Cases submitted to the CAS can encompass both commercial and disciplinary matters. Commercial disputes often involve contracts related to sponsorship, broadcasting rights, or athlete endorsements. Disciplinary cases typically arise from violations of anti-doping rules, match-fixing, or other breaches of conduct.

CAS rulings carry the same legal weight as decisions made by traditional courts, emphasizing the binding nature of its rulings. In addition to arbitration, the CAS offers mediation services as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism.
To accommodate the unique demands of major sporting events, such as the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, the CAS establishes temporary tribunals with tailored procedural rules. This approach ensures efficient and effective dispute resolution within the specific context of these competitions.

Meanwhile the village DJ has started playing the recently released songs by some Haryanvi singers in honour of Vinesh. Songs like Sapne Chori ke and Sherni penning Vinesh’s struggles and the heartbreak in Paris are playing at the felicitation area. (Nitin Sharma)

Meanwhile some of the kids have managed to take the front seats at the village reception.

As dark clouds have surrounded the skyline of Babli, it’s still 2-3 hours to go before the village welcomes Vinesh Phogat.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is the highest international tribunal
dedicated to resolving disputes related to sports. Established in 1984, the CAS is independent of any sports organization and operates under the authority of the International Council of Arbitration for Sport (ICAS).

Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, with additional courts in New York City and Sydney, the CAS handles a wide range of sports-related disputes, including those involving athletes, coaches, sports organizations, and sponsors. With a panel of nearly 300 arbitrators from around the world, the CAS provides expert adjudication in complex legal matters within the sports industry.

The court’s role is crucial in maintaining fairness, integrity, and transparency in sports. By offering a neutral and impartial platform for dispute resolution, the CAS helps to protect the rights of all parties involved and contributes to the overall development of the sports world.

TWO DAYS after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) verdict ended Vinesh Phogat’s hopes of getting a silver medal at the Paris Games, the wrestler, in an emotional social media post Friday, spoke about her attachment to the national flag and her regret of missing out on being on the Olympics podium while carrying it.

Recalling last year’s protest against former chief of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and a photo frame of her lying on the street near Jantar Mantar next to the Tricolour, she said, “During the wrestlers’ protest I was fighting hard to protect the sanctity of women in India, the sanctity and values of our Indian flag. But when I look at the pictures of me with the Indian flag from 28th May 2023, it haunts me,” she wrote.

“You’re an inspiration to us all, sister. You deserve every applause and more – truly a gem of India. Your unwavering dedication and strength lit the way for so many. You’ve shown us what it means to chase dreams with passion and grace. India is proud to call you its own, and we’re blessed to witness your journey. Keep shining, keep inspiring,” wrote Manika Batra.

Vinesh Phogat posted a photograph of herself on her Instagram handle, her first public reaction of sorts after she was heartbreakingly disqualified from competing in the gold medal bout of the 50kg women’s weight class at the Paris Olympics earlier this month for missing the weight limit by 100 grams.

Vinesh Phogat had subsequently appealed the decision of the United World Wrestling (UWW) and International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Vinesh Phogat had also announced her retirement from wrestling in an early morning social media post, where she wrote: “Mom, forgive me. Wrestling beat me, I’ve lost. Your dreams and my courage are broken. I don’t have strength anymore to fight.”

Last year during the protests, the women in our house were worried seeing the images of Vinesh and Sangeeta being pulled away by the police. Par main janta tha ki Vinesh tab tak apni zid nahi chodegi jab tak ki action nahi liya jayega. (But I knew Vinesh would stick to her stand till an action is taken). Wrestling is what she has known all her life and she can do anything for wrestling.

Our thoughts were the same after the disqualification that the decision to hold weigh-in for two days and disqualifying a wrestler, who had reached the final after making the cut on the first day, needs to be challenged. The incident worried us. Such incidents take a toll on the athlete’s mental health, even though her brother, sister and team would have supported her.

Over the years, Vinesh has faced disappointments including the injury in Rio Olympics and backlash over her Tokyo performance. But then she has always risen above all those. When she returned home from the Rio Olympics after that knee injury, she told me that it’s not the end of her Olympic dream. The two World Championship bronze medals motivated her but the hunger for an Olympics medal kept her going. That’s what she proved when she beat World No.1 Yusi Susaki. When the news of her disqualification came, I was disappointed not only for the disqualification but also that tragedies had been recurring in her life.

When I started training Geeta and Babita in 2000, both Vinesh and Ritu, of the same age, would accompany us. Vinesh observed them and discussed the moves when returning home. I would wake her up by around 4 am. Like other kids, she did not want to wake up so early but then she knew I was a taskmaster when it came to training. From that day, whether it was summer or winter, raining or not, she would be training in the mud with her sisters and would be the last to leave the akhada.

When Vinesh lost her father Rampal in 2003, she was only nine years old. But she resumed training within days. There was this fire in her to prove the world that she can fight the world alone. That anger inside reflected in her mindset. She learned the moves fast. One of the moves she mastered early on was the gut-wrench one, where she locked the opponent and did a side roll. She also nuanced the manoeuvre to grab the neck and perform the side roll with perfection.

Olympics medal or not, Vinesh would be one of the biggest achievers in wrestling and Indian sports in general. While we are heartbroken at the decision, nothing can take away what she has done for Indian wrestling and will be remembered for her fighting spirit. For us, she will always be a champion and we will accord a welcome for her at Balali village on August 17, when she returns home.

To underline how much Vinesh Phogat valued an Olympic medal, the coach recalled the wrestlers’ protest last year, when she, along with Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, both Olympic medallists, had decided to immerse their medals into the Ganga at Haridwar. “Vinesh had pleaded with Sakshi and Bajrang to not put their hard-earned Olympic medals in the river. She begged them to keep those because they were special. But they explained to her that the journey was important and their performance was not defined by medals,” he wrote.

The coach said that though Vinesh Phogat was in tears after getting disqualified, she showed grace. “We had an interesting conversation that night, returning from the hospital. Vinesh Phogat said, ‘Coach, don’t be sad because you told me that if I find myself in any difficult situation and need extra energy, I should think that I beat the best woman wrestler (Japan’s Yui Susaki) in the world. I achieved my goal, I proved that I am one of the best in the world. We have proved that the gameplans work. Medals, podiums are just objects. Performance cannot be taken away’,” Akos recalled.

Vinesh Phogat’s coach at the Paris Games, Woller Akos, has said he feared that the wrestler “might die” by the end of the five-and-a-half hours of intense weight-cut the night before the Olympic final.

Facing criticism after Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the 50-kg final for being 100g overweight, the Hungarian, in a social media post on Thursday, said the team did everything possible before the second-day weigh-in so that the wrestler could take the mat for the gold-medal bout.

“Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala has operated on me not once but thrice (both knees and one elbow) and has shown me how resilient the human body can be. His dedication, kindness and honesty towards his work and towards Indian Sports is something no one will doubt including

God. I’m forever grateful to him and his entire team for their work and dedication. As a part of the Indian contingent, having him present at the Paris Olympics was a god’s gift for all fellow athletes,” wrote Vinesh Phogat in her letter.

“Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala. This is not a new name in Indian sports. For me, and I think for many other Indian athletes, he is not just a doctor but an angel in disguise sent by god. When I had stopped believing in myself after facing injuries, it was his belief, work and faith in me that got me back on my feet again,” Vinesh Phogat wrote in her letter.

“There is so much more to say and so much more to tell but words will never be enough and maybe I will speak again when the time feels right. On the night of 6 August and the morning of 7 August, all I want to say is that we did not give up, our efforts did not stop, and we did not surrender but the clock stopped and the time was not fair. So was my fate,” she wrote.

"She came as a champion on day 1 into the games village and she will always remain our champion. Sometimes one doesn't need an Olympic medal to inspire a billion dreams.. @vineshphogat you have inspired generations. Salute to your grit," Narang posted on X.

Towards the end of the three-page post, Phogat, who had announced her retirement after her disqualification, hinted that she could make a comeback to the sport that has defined her life, and where she has “unfinished business”.

“The goal that we were working towards and what we had planned to achieve is unfinished, that something might always remain missing, and that things might never be the same again,” she wrote.

At Paris, Phogat by virtue of reaching the 50 kg final was assured of at least a silver but was disqualified on the morning of her final after she was found to be 100 grams overweight.

Expressing regret over the close miss, she said: “It was my wish to have the Indian flag fly high this Olympics, to have a picture of the Indian flag with me that truly represents its value and restores its sanctity. I felt that by doing this it will correctly represent what the flag went through and what wrestling went through.”

The cavalcade has reached Dhankot, still 95 kms from Balali and it seems that Vinesh will reach Balali only by 5-30-6pm as multiple villages will honour the wrestler on her way to the village. (Nitin Sharma)

TWO DAYS after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) verdict ended Vinesh Phogat’s hopes of getting a silver medal at the Paris Games, the wrestler, in an emotional social media post Friday, spoke about her attachment to the national flag and her regret of missing out on being on the Olympics podium while carrying it.

Recalling last year’s protest against former chief of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and a photo frame of her lying on the street near Jantar Mantar next to the Tricolour, she said, “During the wrestlers’ protest I was fighting hard to protect the sanctity of women in India, the sanctity and values of our Indian flag. But when I look at the pictures of me with the Indian flag from 28th May 2023, it haunts me,” she wrote.

A total of 750 Kg boondi ladoos have been prepared for the villagers and the crowd as well to welcome Vinesh at the Hanuman mandir at the village Balali. The halwais have come from the district headquarters Charkhi Dadri and have been preparing the ladoos since last night.

“The golden ladoos are for the welcome of the golden girl for our village. It’s a huge day for all of us and we are lucky that we have been given a chance to make the ladoos,” says halwai Mandeep Swami tells the Indian Express.

“Vinesh is returning to the country. People have come here at the (Delhi) airport to welcome her. People are also waiting to welcome her at our village. People are exciting to meet Vinesh and encourage her,” her brother Harvinder Phogat said. The huge caravan will follow Vinesh to her village Balali in Haryana.

The procession arrives at the Delhi-Haryana border on the outskirts of Gurgaon. Vinesh is hosted by locals to a greater reception than at the airport. Fans greet her here like family. Haryanvi music blares from makeshift speakers. (Namit Kumar)

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat received a heartwarming welcome at the Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport on Saturday. SEE PICS