‘Zip it, sit in the corner...and cry’: Vinesh Phogat slams online trolls over Paris Olympics cash support

Congress MLA and former India wrestlerVinesh Phogat has been on the receiving end of rampant online trolling ever since she accepted $46 million cash reward from the BJP-led Haryana government.

TheCongressMLA received this award under Haryana's premier sports policy, which allows medal-winning athletes to choose between a government job, a land allotment, or a cash reward. The policy grants $69 million for an Olympic gold, $46 million for silver, and $29 million crore for bronze.

Despite being disqualified from the women's 50kg category due to a slight weight infraction in theParis Olympics, Phogat was still awarded the cash prize equivalent to a silver medalist.

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Several users on X called her decision as opportunistic, questioning why she deserved such a large reward despite not qualifying for the Olympics.

Here's what Vinesh posted on X:

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…

In response, Phogat didn’t hold back. She took to social media to address her critics directly, calling them "Rs 2 tweeters" and told them to “zip it, sit in a corner and cry.” She emphasised that the reward wasn’t just for the Paris qualification, but a recognition of her overall contribution to Indian wrestling—especially her bronze medal at the 2023 World Championships, which had secured a quota spot for India in her weight category.

Vinesh entered the political arena after announcing her retirement from wrestling a short while after she was disqualified from the Paris Olympic Games.