In a heartfelt announcement on Thursday morning, Vinesh Phogat declared her retirement from wrestling after being disqualified in the 50 kg freestyle wrestling final at the Paris Olympics.
Sharing her decision on X, Phogat expressed deep sorrow and gratitude.
"Maa kushti (wrestling) won against me, I lost. Forgive me, your dream and my courage have been broken. I don't have any more strength now. Goodbye Wrestling 2001-2024. I will always be indebted to you all for forgiveness," Phogat wrote.
Phogat had advanced to the gold medal bout by defeating Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez 5-0 in the semi-finals on Tuesday night. She was set to compete against the United States' Sarah Ann Hildebrandt for the gold medal but was disqualified on Wednesday for breaching the weight limit.
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha expressed shock and disappointment over Phogat's disqualification, confirming that while Phogat is physically and medically fine, she is mentally devastated. Usha noted that the support staff is actively working to help Phogat manage her weight.
"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," PT Usha said.
Dinshaw Pardiwala, Chief Medical Officer of the Indian Olympic contingent, revealed that Phogat exceeded the weight limit by 2.7 kg after her semi-final bout. Efforts were made to reduce her weight by restricting her food and water intake.
Phogat has also appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following her disqualification, requesting to be awarded the silver medal. The verdict is expected on Thursday morning.
"Vinesh Phogat has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against her disqualification, asking for the silver medal. CAS will give its verdict tomorrow morning," an IOA source told.
