Vinesh Phogat Says 'Goodbye Wrestling'

Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat on Thursday announced her retirement after being disqualified from the Olympics, sharing an emotional message on X. She expressed her heartbreak, saying, “Maa kushti jeet gayi, main haar gayi” (Wrestling won, I have lost). Phogat was disqualified from the 50 Kg freestyle final at the Paris Olympics 2024 on Wednesday. The 29-year-old wrestler weighed a bit over the permissible limit during the weigh-in on the day of the final and was handed a disqualified result.

Vinesh apologised to her fans, saying her courage has crumbled, and she can no longer continue. Her farewell marked the end of an illustrious career spanning from 2001 to 2024. Vinesh also expressed her gratitude, saying she’ll forever be indebted to her supporters. “Alvida, kushti,” she concluded, ending an era in Indian wrestling.

Phogat scripted history on Tuesday as she became the first Indian woman to reach the final of a wrestling event at the Olympics. Her dominant 5-0 win over Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez secured her spot in the final.

Shortly after the wrestler announced her retirement, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that Vinesh Phogat is "tired of fighting". In a post in Hindi on X, Mr Tharoor said, "This girl is tired of this system... This girl is tired of fighting."