Following her disqualification from the Olympics in Paris, Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat, devastated and disillusioned, announced her retirement from the sport on Thursday. Vinesh sent a heartfelt note on social media.
Vinesh Phogat retirement announced on Thursday morning
Mahavir Phogat, Vinesh Phogat’s uncle, has pleaded with the famous wrestler to reconsider her choice and not quit. The 29-year-old Vinesh declared her retirement from wrestling on Thursday morning. Vinesh was disqualified from the Paris Olympics on Wednesday because she was 100 grams overweight just before her gold medal battle in the 50 kg category. The day after the greatest heartbreak of her career, she announced the choice to her fans on X (previously Twitter).
In response to Vinesh’s announcement of her retirement, Mahavir promised to meet with her and convince her that she needed to reconsider her choice. He claimed that the three-time gold winner at the Commonwealth Games made her decision out of pure rage.
“At five in the morning, she informed me of the news. Given the mental state she must be in after missing out on a medal after coming so close, this announcement may have been made. Will make her sit down and tell her that she should reconsider her decision and put more effort into improving herself. Anyone who comes this close to winning a medal may make a decision like this out of rage”, Mahavir stated.
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On Tuesday, Vinesh made history as the first female wrestler from India to go to the Olympic final. However, she was discovered to be 100 grams overweight on the morning of her gold medal match, which resulted in her disqualification from the competition.
On Wednesday, Vinesh filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) challenging her disqualification from the Olympic finals and requesting a shared silver medal.
Her appeal will be heard on Thursday by an ad hoc branch of the CAS, which has been established here to settle any disputes arising during the Olympic Games.
If Vinesh succeeds in the appeal, she will make history as the first Indian female and the third wrestler overall to win an Olympic silver medal. Prior to her, Ravi Kumar Dahiya earned a silver medal in the Tokyo Olympics, while Sushil Kumar placed second in the 2012 London Olympics.
