Vinesh Phogat has been one of the finest women wrestlers in India. The 30-year-old wrestler had a dream run at Paris Olympics 2024, until the final of the multinational event. She was disqualified from the final being 100gm overweight right ahead of her gold medal bout in the 50kg category. After returning to India she decided to end up her career and retired. She is now an active politician.
But now and then, she has dropped hints of reconsidering her retirement decision. On November 4, Vinesh Phogat teased his comeback to wrestling. She shared a snapshot from her Olympic participation in Paris earlier this year. Vinesh’s Instagram post, written in Hindi, had everyone wondering. The champion wrestler made no mention of a retirement U-turn, but the images and words she selected were meaningful.
Sakshi Malik, India’s bronze winner at the Rio Olympics, and Vinesh’s close friend liked the post. Vinesh, Sakshi, and Bajrang Punia were all important faces in the wrestlers’ protest. Vinesh, the Asian Games gold medalist, made history as the first female Indian wrestler to qualify for the Olympics’ gold medal match. She had upset four-time world wrestling champion Yui Susaki of Japan on her way to the final.
Vinesh Phogat’s mixed messages leave fans puzzled
But tragedy struck just hours before the summit showdown that would have given her a chance at ultimate glory and secured India another gold. Vinesh was disqualified after being discovered to be overweight during the weigh-in process, which occurs on the morning of each major wrestling tournament. Vinesh joined the Congress and had a rapid victory in the Haryana assembly elections.
Vinesh Phogat beat BJP candidate Yogesh Bajrangi of Julana in the Jind district. She is not the state’s first woman wrestler to enter politics and run for office. In 2019, her cousin Babita Phogat ran unsuccessfully for the Charkhi Dadri assembly seat. Vinesh wrote, “Granted, you’re tired today. Granted, today you’re a wounded bird. But you still have courage within you. You’re still alive for the sake of your goal.”
