Vinesh Phogat Announces Retirement After Paris Olympics Disqualification
Disappointed and heartbroken India’s ace wrestler Vinesh Phogat announced her retirement a day after her disqualification from Paris Olympics. Announcing her retirement on social media, India’s gritty daughter wrote a heartfelt message, “Ma, Wrestling has won, I have lost. Please forgive me, your dreams and my courage, everything is broken.”
“I don’t have any more strength now. Good bye Wrestling 2001-2024. I will forever be in your debt. I shall be indebted to you all. Forgive (me),” added the two-time world championships bronze-medallist.
Read also: Vinesh Phogat Appeals In Sports Court, Asks for Silver
Indian wrestler was on the cusp of grabbing the Olympic medal before exceeding the required 50kg weight limit by 100 grams during the morning weigh-in on Wednesday.
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
The disqualification of Phogat broke over a billion hearts. Meanwhile, Vinesh appealed against the disqualification from the Olympic finals on Wednesday in the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), demanding that she be awarded a joint silver medal.
An ad-hoc decision of the CAS has been set up here for resolution by arbitration of any disputes arising during the Olympic Games or during a period of 10 days preceding the Opening ceremony. The matter is scheduled to be taken up on Thursday morning.
However, despite her decision to discontinue, many from the sporting fraternity who rallied behind Vinesh’s cause had asked her to focus on the 2028 LA Games in her pursuit of a wrestling gold medal in the Olympics. Vinesh, however, said that she feels she has lost her final battle and doesn’t have what it takes to continue anymore.
Phogat was scheduled to lock horns with American Sarah Hildebrandt for the gold medal but the 29-year-old was disqualified due to being 100 grams overweight despite starving herself for a week and spending hours in the sauna to cut down to her competition weight.
Read also: Congress Targets Centre Over Failure To Defend Vinesh Phogat
For the last 12 months, Vinesh Phogat was been at the forefront of intense demonstrations against the previous Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan, who faced allegations of sexual misconduct from female wrestlers.
Vinesh is a three-time Olympian and has won gold medals in both the Asian and Commonwealth Games.
