NEW DELHI: India’s ace wrestler Vinesh Phogat announced her return after an 18-month hiatus to chase her Olympic dream, confirming that she has come out of retirement from professional wrestling on Friday.

Last year, Phogat announced her retirement from wrestling after being disqualified in the 50 kg freestyle final at the Paris Olympics. Phogat had advanced to the gold medal bout by defeating Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez 5-0 in the semi-finals. She was set to compete against the United States’ Sarah Ann Hildebrandt for the gold medal but was disqualified for breaching the weight limit.

In an X post, Phogat wrote, “People kept asking if Paris was the end. For a long time, I didn’t have the answer. I needed to step away from the mat, from the pressure, from the expectations, even from my

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