After Paris setback & political stint, Vinesh returns to wrestling mat

Vinesh Phogat has announced that she will return to the wrestling mat in her quest to represent India at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Vinesh, who was disqualified for being overweight on the day she was to fight for the Olympic gold at the Paris Games last year, declared her comeback intentions in a social media post on Friday.

“People kept asking if Paris was the end. For a long time, I didn’t have the answer. I needed to step away from the mat, from the pressure, from the expectations, even from my own ambitions. For the first time in years, I allowed myself to breathe. I took time to understand the weight of my journey -- the highs, heartaches, sacrifices and the versions of me the world never saw. And somewhere in that reflection, I found the truth: I still love this sport. I still want to compete,” Phogat wrote on Instagram.

“…So here I am, stepping back towards LA28 with a heart that’s unafraid and a spirit that refuses to bow. And this time, I’m not walking alone; my son is joining my team -- my biggest motivation, my little cheerleader on this road to the LA Olympics,” added the three-time Olympian.

A few days after her heartbreak in Paris, Vinesh had announced her retirement from a glorious career in which she famously defeated Tokyo Olympics champion Yui Susaki in the 50 kg category. She is one of India’s most accomplished female wrestlers, with two World Championships bronze medals, Asian Games gold and three Commonwealth Games victories.

Post-retirement, Vinesh, who played a central role in the wrestling protests alongside Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik in the alleged sexual harassment case against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, joined politics. She won from the Julana constituency in the Haryana Assembly elections on the Congress ticket.

Wrestling Federation of India president Sanjay Singh welcomed her decision and said everyone must follow the federation’s rules. “We welcome her back. She, like any other wrestler, has to follow all rules and regulations of the federation and of the selection committee. If she has resigned from the Railways, then she has to come to the trials via her state,” Singh told The Tribune on Friday.