Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat announced her retirement from the sport on Thursday after a heartbreaking disqualification from the 50 kg freestyle final at the Paris Olympics 2024. The 29-year-old wrestler took to social media platform X to share her emotional farewell, stating, “Maa kushti jeet gayi, main haar gayi” (Wrestling has defeated me, I have lost).

Phogat was disqualified on Wednesday for weighing slightly over the permissible limit during the final’s weigh-in, resulting in an end to her historic Olympic journey. Expressing deep regret, Vinesh apologized to her fans, admitting that her courage had crumbled and she could no longer continue in the sport. Her message conveyed heartfelt gratitude to her supporters, saying she would forever be indebted to them. “Alvida, kushti,” she concluded, marking the end of an illustrious career that spanned over two decades, from 2001 to 2024.

Despite her retirement announcement, Phogat has filed an appeal against her disqualification with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), seeking to be awarded the silver medal. The CAS, an international sports dispute resolution body based in Switzerland, has acknowledged her appeal and is expected to deliver its final verdict by Thursday at 11:30 AM IST.

Phogat made history on Tuesday by becoming the first Indian woman to reach the final of a wrestling event at the Olympics. Her dominant 5-0 victory over Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez secured her place in the final. However, her Olympic dream was dashed when she failed to make weight by just 100 grams during the weigh-in on the event’s second day, leading to her disqualification.