Vinesh Phogat Announces Retirement Following Disqualification from Paris Olympics

New Delhi: It is a very tragic flip that the Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat has opted for the retirement after ISSF (International Shooting Sport Federation)Paris Olympics. Later on in the social media different sports enthusiasts and athletes also joined in voicing their discontent, the 29-year-old athlete wrote a message that reflected her sorrow.

Vinesh was disqualified for being 100 grams overweight during the weigh-in before her gold medal match. In her message, she wrote, “Maa, kushti mere se jeet gayi, main haar gayi. Maaf karna, aapka sapna, meri himmat sab toot chuke. Isse zyada taqat nahi rahi ab” (Mom, Wrestling has defeated me, I have lost. I lost…my courage is all broken, I don’t have any more strength now). She concluded with, “Alvida, kushti (Goodbye Wrestling 2001-2024).”

https://twitter.com/Phogat_Vinesh/status/1821332432701779982

This was the first instance that an Indian woman wrestler, Vinesh, had been able to get to the finals of the wrestling championship in her category. Many people expected her to at least get a silver medal before she was disqualified. A stopper dream was her being disqualified from the final match against Sarah Ann Hildebrandt of the United States on grounds that she was 100 grams overweight during the morning weigh-in. Thus, Vinesh sent an appeal to the Court asking to be awarded a joint silver medal; however, she was replaced in the final by Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who Vinesh had been defeated in the semifinals by. In from of her home crowd, Lopez was defeated by Hildebrandt in the final match.

According to international regulations, any wrestler found to be overweight during the weigh-in process is automatically placed at the bottom of the final standings, regardless of their performance in the tournament.
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha reacted to Vinesh’s disqualification and said she couldn’t believe it. “After getting the news that Vinesh Phogat is disqualified, I said ‘Wow’ I had come here to meet Vinesh; she is physically and medically fine but she is miserable Our support staff is with her trying their best to less her weight,” added PT Usha. Chief Medical Officer of the Indian Olympic contingent, Dinshaw Pardiwala exposed that Phogat was 2. 5 kg over the established weight of the division after her semi final match. Attempts were also made to make her slim and therefore her food and water portion were regulated.

After this, Vinesh filed a petition to CAS where she demanded the silver medal is awarded to her. The verdict of CAS is yet to be made.

Vinesh, now is a three-time Olympian, a two-time World Cup bronze medalist and the gold medalist of both the Asian and the Commonwealth Games. In the last one year, she was in the centre of aggressive protests against the former Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh accused of sexual harassment by the wrestlers. Vinesh, a regular entrant in the 53kg category leveled down to 50kg only a few months before the games as Antim Panghal had the Paris booking in that weight category already.

Panghal suffered a defeat in the first round and now faces potential deportation after attempting to grant her sister Nisha access to the Games Village using her own accreditation card.

Vinesh Phogat’s retirement marks the end of an era for Indian wrestling, leaving fans and the sports community in deep sorrow.

In a heart-wrenching turn of events, Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat has announced her retirement from wrestling after being disqualified from the Paris Olympics. The 29-year-old athlete shared an emotional message on social media, expressing her devastation.

Vinesh made history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the gold medal bout in her category. She was assured of at least a silver medal before her disqualification. Her disqualification from the final match against Sarah Ann Hildebrandt of the United States, due to being 100 grams overweight during the morning weigh-in, was a devastating setback. Vinesh filed an appeal, requesting a joint silver medal, but was replaced in the final by Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, whom Vinesh had defeated in the semifinals. Lopez ultimately lost to Hildebrandt in the championship match.

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha expressed her shock and disappointment over Vinesh’s disqualification. “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, disclosed that Phogat was 2.7 kg over the weight limit following her semi-final bout. Efforts were made to help her reduce weight by restricting her food and water intake.

Following her disqualification, Vinesh appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), requesting the silver medal. The CAS verdict is expected soon.

Vinesh is a three-time Olympian and has won gold medals in both the Asian and Commonwealth Games. For the past year, she has been at the forefront of intense demonstrations against the previous Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who faces allegations of sexual misconduct from female wrestlers. Vinesh, a consistent competitor in the 53kg weight class, had to transition to 50kg just a few months before the Games, as Antim Panghal had already secured the Paris quota spot in that category.