Vinesh Phogat announces retirement from wrestling after shock disqualification: ‘Alvida kushti’ 

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who was on an enviable Olympics run before her shock disqualification, has announced her retirement from the sport. The wrestler said that she has lost all courage to fight, and does not have it in her to fight anymore. “Alvida kushti (goodbye wrestling)”, she said in an emotional post.

The 29-year-old was disqualified for being 100 gm overweight ahead of her 50 kg category bout for the gold medal on Wednesday. Phogat has also appealed against her disqualification from Olympics 2024 in the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), and appealed for a joint silver medal.

“Wrestling match against me, I lost. Forgive me. Your dream and my courage – all are broken. I don't have any more strength now. Goodbye Wrestling 2001-2024. I will always be indebted to you,” she said in a post on social media in Hindi.

The three-time Olympian spent most of the day at a polyclinic inside the games village due to severe dehydration, that was the result of desperate measures to make the cut. She reportedly went hungry, avoided fluids and stayed up all night to sweat it out. 

An ad-hoc division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has been set up to resolve any disputes arising during the Olympic Games or during a period of 10 days preceding the Opening Ceremony. 

Cuban wrestler Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, who lost to Vinesh in the semifinals, replaced her in the final against American Sarah Ann Hildebrandt. Hildebrandt won the bout to claim gold and Vinesh is now banking on CAS to be a joint silver-medallist with Lopez. 

However, the sport's international governing body, United World Wrestling (UWW), has made it clear that the current weigh-in rule cannot be changed as of now.

"On IOA’s suggestion that a wrestler's results from the day on which the athlete met the weigh-in requirements should not be disqualified, the UWW President was sympathetic. UWW will also discuss the suggestion at an appropriate platform but it could not be done retrospectively," the world body said in a statement late on Wednesday after its President Nenad Lalovic met IOA chief P T Usha.

Vinesh Phogat's cousin and Olympian Geeta Phogat supporting her sister, said, "Your passion and struggle will be remembered for centuries. You are a role model for all girls. Your saying goodbye to wrestling like this is very sad for the whole family and the whole country."