Vinesh Phogat to return to India on August 17, says Bajrang Punia
Aug 14, 2024
New Delhi [India], August 14 : Tokyo bronze medallist Bajrang Punia on Wednesday confirmed that Vinesh Phogat will return to India on August 17.
Vinesh, who has been eagerly waiting for the verdict on the Paris Olympics silver medal, will reach Delhi Airport at 10 am (IST) on Saturday.
Punia took to X to reveal Vinesh's return. "Vinesh Phogat will arrive at the airport at 10:00 am on 17 August."
https://x.com/BajrangPunia/status/1823682165785145585
Vinesh is currently in Paris, waiting for the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision on her appeal to award her the silver medal in the women's 50kg event.
Vinesh was set to face the United States grappler Sarah Ann Hildebrandt for the gold medal in the women's 50kg event last week.
However, she was disqualified on Wednesday morning before the final after exceeding the 50kg weight limit. During the weigh-in before the gold medal match, Vinesh was found to be 100 grams over the limit.
Following her disqualification, Vinesh requested CAS to award her the silver medal. The verdict was supposed to come out on Tuesday at 9:30 pm. However, once again, the decision was delayed to August 16. Moments before the veridct, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) released a statement to confirm that the CAS has deferred the verdict to Friday.
As the series of delays on the verdict continues, sources said on Wednesday morning that Vinesh won't return to India till the verdict comes out.
"Vinesh will not come to India until her verdict is announced," a source said.
A day after enduring a heartbreak disqualification, Vinesh penned an emotional note to announce her decision to retire from wrestling.
Vinesh's uncle, Mahavir Phogat, asserted that they would try to make attempts to convince the 29-year-old to change her decision and start preparing for the LA 28 Olympics.
"She was going to bring the Olympic gold this time but got disqualified. It is natural to feel hurt after such a setback, and hence she arrived at this decision. Once she is back home, we will try talking to her about competing in the 2028 Olympics," Mahavir said earlier.
