Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat has announced her retirement on Thursday, just a day after being disqualified from the women’s 50kg freestyle final at the Paris Olympics for failing to make weight, according to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
The 29-year-old, who was on the brink of making history as the first Indian woman to win an Olympic gold, was disqualified after the mandatory morning weigh-in on Tuesday revealed she was 100 grams overweight.
In her announcement on X, Phogat expressed her dismay, saying, “Wrestling won and I lost. My dreams are shattered. I don’t have any more strength. Goodbye wrestling 2001-2024. I will always be indebted to you all. I am sorry.”
Who is Vinesh Phogat?
Born on August 25, 1994, in Bhiwani, Haryana, Vinesh Phogat comes from a wrestling family. Her uncle, Mahavir Singh Phogat, a renowned coach and Dronacharya Awardee, introduced her to the sport early on.
A three-time Olympian, Phogat competed in three different weight categories across three Games. She wrestled in the 48 kg category at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 53 kg category at the Tokyo 2020 Games. She has also achieved notable success in the Commonwealth Games, winning gold medals in 2014, 2018, and 2022, across three different weight classes. Phogat made history by being the first Indian woman wrestler to win gold medals at both the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games in 2018. Additionally, she secured bronze medals at the World Wrestling Championships in 2019 and 2022.
Phogat’s Role in the Protest Against WFI
In January 2023, Vinesh Phogat, along with over 30 Indian wrestlers including Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Anshu Malik, led a protest calling for the dissolution of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and action against its president, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, following allegations of sexual harassment by coaches. The protests ended after the Indian Government agreed to form an oversight committee to investigate the claims.
