'Main Wapis Aaungi...': Vinesh Phogat Reacts After Defeat In Semis Of 53kg Trials For Asian Games

Last Updated:May 30, 2026, 17:28 IST

Vinesh vows to come back, says she will keep preparing, but does not specify where she will compete next.

Star Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the semifinal of 53kg selection trails for the Asian Games 2026. She was knocked out by Meenakshi Goyat 4-6 in a tense semifinal bout on Saturday evening. The loss dashed Vinesh’s hopes of a comeback and her chances of securing a berth at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan later this year.

After going down against Meenakshi, before leaving the mat Vinesh stated that she will come back.

“Main wapis aaungi, wapis aaungi iss mat par (I will return)," Vinesh said.

Vinesh was allowed to compete in the women’s 53kg category after the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) reversed its earlier stand of restricting her participation to the 50kg division.

The dramatic turn of events came during the official weigh-in on Saturday morning when Vinesh was informed that she would be permitted to compete only in the 50kg category, citing her participation in that weight class in her last four international events, including the Paris Olympics.

The wrestler strongly objected to the decision and accused the federation of discriminating against her by denying her the opportunity to compete in a category of her choice.

Sources present at the venue said the matter escalated before WFI president Sanjay Singh intervened and decided to allow Vinesh to enter the 53kg trials as well.

“We allowed her after she threw accusations and asked the officials to take her weight," WFI President Sanjay Singh told PTI.

“We do not want to discriminate against anyone. She did not inform us of which category she wants to compete and still letting her."

Vinesh subsequently weighed in at 53.9kg and was accommodated in the 53kg draw.

In a brief chat with media while preparing, Vinesh said, “I am here for at least two years."

The development was a significant climb-down by the WFI, which had maintained that Vinesh would be considered only for the 50kg category.

The federation’s argument was that the wrestler had consistently competed in that division in recent international competitions and had not formally intimated the WFI about switching categories for the trials.

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