Vinesh Phogat on Thursday announced her retirement from wrestling, a day after she was disqualified from the 50kg category in the women’s freestyle wrestling at the Paris Olympics.
The wrestler failed the second weigh-in, as she was found above the permissible weight limit, and was barred from taking part in the final.
In an emotional post on her X handle, Phogat wrote: “Mother wrestling has gotten the better of me. I lost. Forgive me, Your dream, my courage is all broken. I don’t have any more strength now.”
She added: “Goodbye wrestling 2001-2024. I will always be indebted to you all for forgiveness.”
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Earlier, Phogat reportedly appealed against her disqualification at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), demanding that she be given the silver medal as she won her semi-final bout against Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez fair and square. The latter had replaced Phogat in the final, losing to the USA’s Sarah Hildebrandt.
An ad-hoc division of the CAS has been set up in Paris for the period of the Olympics to arbitrate any dispute that is arising out of the Games. It is likely to take up Phogat’s case today.
Phogat, a multiple Commonwealth Games gold medallist, who also won gold at the 2018 Asian Games, had the chance to become the first woman from India to win an Olympic gold. Unless the CAS rules in her favour, that journey has ended in sadness.
Also Read: Vinesh Phogat and India’s sporting dream – From six minutes of ecstasy to 100 grams of despair