Vinesh Phogat Reverses Retirement, Says She Will Play 2028 Los Angeles Olympics

 

Star indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat reversed her decision to retire from the sport, taken last year after the controversy Paris Olympics 2024. He also announced that her aim would be to return to the mat for the Olympics in 2028.

“I took time to understand the weight of my journey the highs, the heartbreaks, the sacrifices, the versions of me the world never saw. And somewhere in that reflection, I found the truth, I still love this sport. I still want to compete,” wrote Vinesh in an X post on Friday.

 

"And this time, I'm not walking alone, my son is joining my team, my biggest motivation, my little cheerleader on this road to the LA Olympics. So here I am, stepping back towards LA 2028 with a heart that's unafraid and a spirit that refuses to bow," she added.

 

Vinesh, who joined politics just a day after announcing retirement following her disqualification in the Olympics, expressed that she wanted to focus on her wrestling career.

Vinesh scripted history in the Paris Olympics, becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to make it to an Olympic gold medal bout. Her stellar run included a historic win over Japan’s four-time world champion Yui Susaki, which set her up for the gold medal match and a guaranteed silver for the country. However, just before the final, Vinesh was found to be 100 grams overweight than the required criteria during her morning weigh-in and was disqualified as a result.

Vinesh appealed against the decision, saying that at least she deserved a silver medal as she had won three bouts on Day 1. However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport refuted her plea, which left her with no medal despite her historic performance.

 

Vinesh soon made a career switch, joining the Congress party, and won the Haryana assembly election from the Julana constituency in Jind, defeating the BJP’s Yogesh Bajrangi. She is currently a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the constituency.