Vinesh Phogat Announces Retirement after Disqualification from Paris Olympics 2024

Vinesh Phogat Announces Retirement :  In a deeply emotional announcement, Vinesh Phogat revealed her decision to retire from wrestling following her disqualification from the gold medal match at the Paris Olympics 2024. On X, she conveyed her frustration, stating that wrestling had ultimately defeated her and expressing that both her dreams and courage had been shattered. She mentioned feeling depleted of strength and bid farewell to wrestling, acknowledging her enduring gratitude to her supporters. The disqualification was attributed to Phogat being 100 grams over the weight limit for her final event, which also resulted in her being stripped of the medal.

माँ कुश्ती मेरे से जीत गई मैं हार गई माफ़ करना आपका सपना मेरी हिम्मत सब टूट चुके इससे ज़्यादा ताक़त नहीं रही अब। अलविदा कुश्ती 2001-2024 🙏 आप सबकी हमेशा ऋणी रहूँगी माफी 🙏🙏

— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) August 7, 2024

A Legacy in Wrestling

Vinesh Phogat, widely regarded as one of India's premier wrestlers, hails from a renowned wrestling family. Her impressive career includes three Olympic appearances, three Commonwealth Games gold medals, two World Championships bronze medals, and one Asian Games goldIn 2021, she earned the title of Asian champion. Following in the footsteps of her cousins Geeta Phogat and Babita Kumari, Vinesh was introduced to wrestling at a young age by her uncle Mahavir Singh Phogat, contributing to her storied career.

From Prodigy to Prominence

Vinesh Phogat's wrestling journey began with a remarkable junior career, leading to her first major international title at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, where she won gold in the 48kg category. She secured a spot for the Rio 2016 Olympics by winning her qualifying event in Istanbul. Unfortunately, her Rio 2016 campaign was cut short when she dislocated her right knee in the quarter-finals, ending her hopes of a medal.

Post-Rio Achievements and Tokyo Setback

After Rio 2016, Phogat rebounded strongly, claiming gold medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. She transitioned to the 53kg category in 2019, earning a bronze medal at the Asian Wrestling Championships and her first World Championships medal, which qualified her for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Despite being in excellent form leading up to Tokyo, Phogat was knocked out after a loss following a win over Sweden’s Sofia Mattsson. She later revealed that she was struggling with her mental and physical health during the Tokyo Games and underwent elbow surgery post-Olympics.

Also read :  Doctor Explains How Vinesh Phogat’s Weight Was Managed Amidst Olympics Pressure

Recent Years and Advocacy

Phogat returned to competition in 2022, winning bronze at the World Championships in Belgrade and gold at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. She was also honored as the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year, notably for her activism against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who faced accusations of sexual harassment from several female wrestlers.