Vinesh Phogat announces retirement: celebrating the Career highlights of an Indian Wrestling legend

Vinesh Phogat, one of India’s top wrestlers, announced her retirement on Thursday after being disqualified from the Paris Olympics 2024 gold medal bout. She shared her decision on social media platform X, expressing her heartbreak. She wrote, "Wrestling won match against me, I lost... Your dreams and my courage are shattered. I don't have any more strength now. Goodbye Wrestling 2001-2024. I will forever be indebted to all of you. Sorry."

Phogat was disqualified due to being 100 grams overweight for her final event and was stripped of her medal. This setback marked the end of her illustrious career.

Legacy and achievements

Coming from a wrestling family, Vinesh Phogat has had an impressive career. She is a three-time Olympian, with three Commonwealth Games gold medals, two World Championships bronze medals, and an Asian Games gold medal. She was also the Asian champion in 2021.

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Vinesh followed the path of her famous wrestling cousins, Geeta Phogat and Babita Kumari, and was introduced to the sport at an early age by her uncle, Mahavir Singh Phogat.

Vinesh’s career began with a strong start. She won her first major international title at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, securing gold in the 48kg category. She earned her spot for the Rio 2016 Olympics by winning the qualifying event in Istanbul. Unfortunately, her dreams were cut short in Rio when she dislocated her right knee during a quarterfinal bout.

Post-Rio success

Despite the setback, Vinesh bounced back, winning gold at both the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. She later moved to the 53kg category and continued her success, winning bronze at the Asian Wrestling Championships and securing her first World Championships medal, which qualified her for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Ahead of Tokyo 2020, Vinesh was in great form, winning her first gold at the 2021 Asian Championships. However, she was knocked out early in Tokyo. She later revealed she wasn't in good mental and physical condition and underwent elbow surgery.

Vinesh returned in 2022, winning bronze at the World Championships in Belgrade and gold at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. She was also named BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year after protesting against the former Wrestling Federation of India president, BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was accused of sexual harassment by several female wrestlers.