Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Dec 12: In an emotional announcement, star wrestler and Haryana MLA Vinesh Phogat on Friday reversed her retirement decision, declaring that she will return to competition with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as her new target.

The 31-year-old, the only Indian woman wrestler to win gold at both the Asian and Commonwealth Games, said her passion for the sport “never left,” despite the heartbreak of the Paris Olympics.

Sharing a heartfelt note on social media, Vinesh wrote that she needed time away from wrestling to recover from the immense pressure and expectations. “For the first time in years, I allowed myself to breathe,” she said, adding that the break helped her rediscover her love for the mat. “I still love the sport, I still want to compete.”

Vinesh, who represents the Julana constituency as a Congress MLA, said the fire within her had only been buried under exhaustion. “The discipline, the routine, the fight… it’s in my system. No matter how far I walked away, a part of me stayed on the mat,” she said.

Announcing her comeback, she added, “Here I am, stepping back toward LA28 with a heart that’s unafraid and a spirit that refuses to bow.” She also shared that her infant son, born in July this year, will now be her biggest motivation on this journey. Vinesh joins a growing list of elite Indian athletes who have returned to international sport after childbirth.

The wrestler had delivered a stellar campaign at the 2024 Paris Olympics and reached the final, but was dramatically disqualified just hours before the gold-medal bout for being 100 grams overweight. Devastated, she announced her retirement on August 8, writing that she had “lost” and no longer had the strength to continue. Her appeal against the disqualification was later dismissed.

With her renewed resolve and a powerful personal comeback story, Vinesh Phogat is set to begin a fresh chapter aimed at Olympic glory in Los Angeles.