Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat announced her retirement on Thursday following her disqualification from the Paris Olympics 2024, sharing an emotional message on her X handle.
“Maa kushti jeet gayi, main haar gayi (Wrestling has defeated me, I have lost),” Phogat posted on her X account.
Phogat, 29, concluded her career, which spanned from 2001 to 2024, marking the end of an era in Indian wrestling. She was disqualified from the 50 kg freestyle final on Wednesday after weighing 100 grams over the permissible limit before her gold medal match against Sarah Ann Hildebrandt of the United States.
Expressing her disappointment, Phogat lamented further, “Maaf karna, aapka sapna, meri himmat sab toot chuke. Isse zyada taqat nahi rahi ab (Forgive me, I lost my courage is all broken, I don’t have any more strength now).”
She concluded her post with a poignant farewell where she stated, “Alvida, kushti (goodbye wrestling).”
Despite her heartbreak, Phogat has appealed her disqualification to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), requesting the silver medal as she had defeated Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez 5-0 to qualify for the finals. CAS has acknowledged her appeal and is expected to deliver its verdict on Thursday.
Phogat’s career has been illustrious; she was the first Indian woman to reach the final round of a wrestling event at the Olympics.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha expressed her shock and disappointment over Phogat’s disqualification as well.
“After hearing the news that Vinesh Phogat is disqualified, I am shocked and disappointed. I had come here to meet Vinesh; she is physically and medically okay. Mentally, she is disappointed. Our support staff is with her, trying their best to help her reduce weight.” Usha stated.
The Indian athlete ends her 23-year-long career following disappointment over disqualification from Paris Olympics 2024.
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