File photo of Vinesh Phogat© AFP
Vinesh Phogat took aim at social media trolls who accused her of asking for a cash reward of Rs 4 crore from the Haryana government for her achievements at the Paris Olympics 2024. Phogat qualified for the gold medal match but was disqualified for being 100 grams overweight ahead of the bout. However, the Haryana government assured Phogat of benefits equivalent to a Olympics silver medalist. Phogat has now criticised people for accusing her of asking for the rewards and even asked them to ‘zip it’.
“Those who tweet for Rs 2 and share knowledge for free… listen carefully! For your information, let me tell you – till now, I have rejected offers worth crores. From soft drinks to online gaming,” she wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
2 रुपये लेकर ट्वीट करने वालों और फ्री का ज्ञान बाँटने वालों… ज़रा ध्यान से सुनो!
तुम्हारी जानकारी के लिए बता दूँ — अब तक करोड़ों के ऑफर ठुकरा चुकी हूँ।
सॉफ्ट ड्रिंक्स से लेकर ऑनलाइन गेमिंग तक,
पर मैंने कभी अपने उसूलों का सौदा नहीं किया।
जो कुछ भी हासिल किया है, मेहनत की…
— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) April 13, 2025
“But I never compromised on my principles. Whatever I have achieved, I have done it with honest hard work and the blessings of my loved ones – and I am proud of that.”
“And as far as ‘asking’ goes…I am the daughter of that land where self-respect is dissolved in mother’s milk. I have learnt from my ancestors that rights are not snatched, they are won. When there is a need, one also knows how to call loved ones, And when someone close to us is in trouble, we also know how to stand like a wall with them.”
“So, zip it. Sit in the corner and do what you’re best at — cry, cry, cry… and just cry! Because we are not going anywhere. We’re here to stay, grounded, unshaken, and standing tall with our own spine and self-respect!” added the wrestler.
Vinesh Phogat has announced that she would build a world-class sports academy for young athletes with the Rs 4 crore prize money that she received from the Haryana government.
(With ANI inputs)
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