Vinesh Phogat's husband refutes claims of exorbitant cash prizes given to her

Vinesh Phogat's husband, Somvir Rathee, has publicly refuted claims that the Indian wrestler received Rs 16.35 crore in cash prizes from various companies, political parties, and institutions.

In a social media post, Rathee alleged it was a 'mean to gain cheap popularity.'

There have been rumours circulating on the internet that Vinesh received the hefty cash prizes upon her return from the Paris Olympics, where she was disqualified from participating in the gold medal bout due to being 100 grams overweight on the day of the women's 50kg category final.

Talking about the rumours, Rathee wrote, "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."

The social media post appeared when various news about Vinesh has been circulating across social media now and then, with little regard to its authenticity.

Vinesh was on the verge of scripting history at the Paris Olympics, after she became the first Indian wrestler to qualify for the final in the women's 50kg category, ending Yui Susaki's 82-match unbeaten run in the process.

After disqualification, Vinesh appealed to the Centre for Arbitration of Sports (CAS), asking for a shared silver medal. But the CAS rejected his appeal saying it was the wrestler's responsibility to maintain her weight.