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Vinesh and her husband Somvir Rathee welcomed a baby boy in July this year—something she says profoundly changed her perspective. “In that silence, I found something I’d forgotten—the fire never left. It was only buried under exhaustion and noise,” she wrote.She added that she will now chase her LA28 dream with her son as her biggest motivation: “This time, I’m not walking alone. My son is joining my team.”

New Delhi: Star Indian wrestler and three-time Olympian Vinesh Phogat on Friday announced that she is coming out of retirement to make another bid for the elusive Olympic medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, saying the passion that once drove her “never left” but was “buried under exhaustion and noise.” The 31-year-old had retired last year after a heartbreaking end to her Paris 2024 campaign, where she was dramatically disqualified for being 100 grams overweight ahead of her 50kg gold medal bout—an incident that shocked the sporting fraternity.

Paris Disqualification, CAS Appeal, and Political Turn

Following the Paris controversy, Vinesh appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) seeking a joint silver medal, but the ruling remained unchanged. Disillusioned, she announced her retirement and stepped into politics, later becoming an MLA from Haryana’s Julana constituency. Her return marks a dramatic shift in the journey of India’s most celebrated woman wrestler.

“I Still Love This Sport… I Still Want to Compete”

In a heartfelt post on social media, Vinesh wrote: “For a long time, people asked if Paris was the end. I didn’t have the answer. I needed to step away from the mat, the pressure, the expectations—even from my own ambitions. For the first time in years, I allowed myself to breathe.” Reflecting on the highs and heartbreaks of her career, she said the truth eventually emerged:
“I still love this sport. I still want to compete.”

Motherhood and a Renewed Purpose

Vinesh and her husband Somvir Rathee welcomed a baby boy in July this year—something she says profoundly changed her perspective. “In that silence, I found something I’d forgotten—the fire never left. It was only buried under exhaustion and noise,” she wrote.
She added that she will now chase her LA28 dream with her son as her biggest motivation: “This time, I’m not walking alone. My son is joining my team.”

A Pioneer in Indian Wrestling

Vinesh Phogat has already carved her name in history as:

• The first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic gold-medal bout

• A three-time Olympian (Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024)

• A gold medallist at both the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games

Her decision to return sets the stage for one of the most compelling comeback journeys leading up to Los Angeles 2028.