Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat has officially announced his retirement from the sport that made him famous after he was disqualified from the women's 50kg event at the 2024 Paris Olympics because he was too heavy to compete in the final round.
“I lost. My dreams and courage were shattered. I have no strength now. Goodbye, struggle 2001-2024. I will be forever indebted to all of you and I apologize,” Phogat said as reported by Antara, Thursday (8/8).
Phogat's name recently emerged after a video of him with shaved hair and sunken eyes went viral on social media. He was seen exercising and struggling to lose weight ahead of Wednesday's (7/8) final.
Also read: Mijain Lopez breaks Olympic medal record
Phogat, who has won three Commonwealth Games gold medals, was supposed to face American Sarah Hildebrandt for the gold medal at the Paris Olympics but was found to be 100 grams overweight above the 50kg limit.
Hildebrandt also won a gold medal in the final against Cuba's Yusneylis Guzman Lopez.
Indian media reported that Phogat had appealed his disqualification to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and demanded that he be awarded a joint silver medal.
Also read: Foot injury that has not yet healed is the reason for Eko Yuli's failure to win a medal at the 2024 Olympics
The CAS is expected to announce its verdict on this case in Paris shortly.
Even though he announced his retirement and was unable to win an Olympic medal, Phogat's supporters still expressed their gratitude.
He was one of the figures involved in the long-running protest against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, then head of the Wrestling Federation of India, who was embroiled in a sexual harassment scandal last year.
Also read: Eko Yuli failed to deliver medals at 2024 Olympics
Singh is on trial for groping female athletes and soliciting sexual favors from them. Singh has denied all allegations.
Wrestling is hugely popular in rural northern India and photos of Phogat and other athletes being arrested as they tried to march to Parliament during the protests have gone viral on social media.
“You will always be winners for us,” Bajrang Punia, another protest leader last year and a bronze medallist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, said on social media.
“Besides being the daughter of India, you are the pride of India. (Z-6)
