Vinesh Phogat targets 2028 Olympics; Punia offers unconditional support

Decorated wrestler Vinesh Phogat  — multiple medal winner at the World  Championships, the Asian Games, and the  Commonwealth Games, and now a mother  — recently announced that she would stage  a comeback to the sport. And her fellow ace  Haryana wrestler Bajrang Punia, an Olympic  medallist-turned-activist, was quick to offer  his complete and unconditional support. 

“We talked about her decision on the  phone. If she can stage a comeback, why  not? I have supported her in the past, and I  continue to support her now. Whichever  athlete has the motivation to represent the  country, I will always stand with them,”  Punia, the 65kg bronze medallist at the 2020  Tokyo Olympics, told Patriot.

 Vinesh reached the 50kg freestyle final at  the 2024 Paris Olympics, but she was  disqualified for being overweight before the  match against Sarah Hildebrandt of the US  began. A series of attempts, including her request to the Court of Arbitration for Sport  for a joint silver medal, bore no fruit. Soon she retired from the sport. 

The ace wrestler, who has many global  medals under her belt, married wrestler  Somvir Rathee in December 2018, and she  gave birth to a baby boy, Kridhav, on July 1,  2025. And on December 13, she announced  via X that she would return to wrestling and  aim to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles  Olympics. 

The Decision 

 “I took time to understand the weight of my  journey, the highs, the heartbreaks, the  sacrifices, 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,” Vinesh tweeted.

 “So here I am, stepping back toward 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,” she wrote. 

After making her decision, Vinesh also  spoke to Punia, who was happy for her.  “When everyone, including the family,  stands by you, only then is a big decision like  this taken. The athlete can’t do it alone. And  that is very obvious in her case as well,” he  said. 

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QUESTION OF AGE 

Assuming the August 1994-born Vinesh  qualifies for the Olympics, she would be close to 34 by the time the Games are held in July 2028. It would be a big challenge for her to get into shape — she has already started the process — and then beat the competition to qualify for the elusive Olympic medal. 

Punia said age is just a number for an athlete. “Age does not matter; one should have the willpower. Age may matter in some places, but if you have the belief deep inside you that ‘Yes, I have to do it’, then you can play until 34 or 35 years old. Age is not a big issue,” he said. 

Vinesh competed in the 50kg category at the 2024 Olympics. Now, it remains to be seen in what shape she will be close to the Olympic qualification round and whether or not she would require to change her weight category.

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