‘Maa kushti jeet gai, main haar gai’: Vinesh Phogat quits wrestling after disqualification at Olympics

Ace Indian grappler Vinesh Phogat bowed out of the wrestling arena a day after her heartbreaking disqualification from the Women's Freestyle 50kg event at the Paris Olympics 2024 on Wednesday. Phogat was disqualified from the prestigious multi-sport event after she was found overweight by 100 grams.

Vinesh Phogat announced her retirement with an emotional message dedicated to her mother: “Ma kushti mere se jeet gayi, main har gayi.” In her social media post on X, the ace grappler said, “My courage is all broken.”

“Forgive me, your dream, my courage is all broken, I don't have any more strength now. Goodbye Wrestling 2001-2024. I will always be indebted to you all for forgiveness,” read a post by Vinesh Phogat on X in Hindi.

Vinesh Phogat's disqualification from Olympic finals

With less than a day left for the final wrestling match at Olympics, Vinesh Phogat's dreams were crushed after she breached the fixed weight category of 50 kg for the fight. Phogat was found to be 100 gm overweight on the day of the Olympic finals. Exceeding permissible weight merely by grams led to her disqualification on perhaps the biggest day of her sporting career.

Phogat was found overweight by more than a kilogram on Tuesday after which she underwent a gruelling exercise and training session to shed the extra weight. A desperate Vinesh merely had "small amounts of water", cut her hair, and stayed up all night working out to ensure that she didn't go over the prescribed limit for her weight.

It wasn't enough, and no amount of pleading by the Indian officials to give her some more time to shed that 100gm could change the rules. Notably, Vinesh Phogat scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to qualify for the Olympic finals.

Phogat's appeal to CAS over disqualification from Paris Olympic finals

The Court of Arbitration for Sports, on Thursday, will consider Vinesh Phogat's appeal following her disqualification from the 50 kg category final at the Paris Olympics. Phogat has requested the CAS to award her silver medal; the verdict on appeal is likely to be made today, reported ANI, citing sources.

"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," the source told ANI.

Phogat was set to compete against the United States' Sarah Ann Hildebrandt for the gold medal. After her disqualification from the event, Cuban wrestler Guzman Lopez, who lost to Phogat in the semifinal, competed against Hildebrandt in the final. Hidebrandt won the bout to claim gold.