New Delhi, Dec 12 (NationPress) India's renowned wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who had declared her retirement shortly after being disqualified from the Paris Olympics 2024, has now decided to return to the wrestling mat as she focuses on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Following her emotional disqualification from the Olympic gold medal match, Vinesh entered the political arena just a day after announcing her retirement. She took to social media, expressing, "I still want to compete" with a heart that is fearless and a spirit that refuses to yield.

"People kept asking if my journey ended in Paris. For a long time, I couldn't answer. I needed distance from the mat, the pressure, the expectations, and even my own aspirations," Vinesh shared in her statement.

"For the first time in years, I allowed myself to breathe. I took time to reflect on my journey: the triumphs, the disappointments, the sacrifices, and the versions of myself that the world never witnessed. In that introspection, I rediscovered the truth: I still cherish this sport. I still want to compete.

"In those quiet moments, I uncovered something I had forgotten: the fire never extinguished. It was merely hidden beneath fatigue and chaos. The discipline, the routine, the struggle... it's ingrained in me. No matter how far I wandered, a part of me remained on the mat.

"So here I am, moving towards LA28 with a heart that is fearless and a spirit that refuses to yield. This time, I'm not alone; my son is joining my journey, my greatest motivation, my little cheerleader as we aim for the Olympics in Los Angeles.

Vinesh made history in Paris by being the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the finals of the Olympics, which included a remarkable victory over Japan’s four-time world champion, Yui Susaki.

However, her redemption story, after a disappointing showing at the Tokyo Olympics, came to a painful end when she was disqualified for being overweight during the final's second weigh-in.

She later appealed her Olympic disqualification to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), seeking a joint silver medal in the 50kg weight category.

Unfortunately, the Ad-Hoc Division of the CAS rejected Vinesh's appeal, shattering her hopes of capturing her first Olympic medal.

Subsequently, Vinesh, alongside Bajrang Punia, joined the Congress party in the lead-up to the 2024 Haryana Assembly elections, where she triumphed in the Julana constituency of Jind, defeating the BJP's Yogesh Bajrangi.