'Main wapas aaugi is mat pe': Vinesh Phogat vows comeback after loss in Asian Games 2026 qualification match

Olympian Vinesh Phogat has vowed to make a strong comeback after failing to qualify for the Asian Games 2026.

"Main wapas aaugi is mat pe (I will return to this mat)," an emotional Vinesh was heard saying after her defeat in the selection trials.

Phogat's Asian Games hopes ended after she suffered a 4-6 loss to Meenakshi in the semi-final of the women's 53kg category selection trials at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday.


The Haryana wrestler and Congress MLA from Julana had looked in good form earlier in the day. She defeated Jyoti 7-1 in her opening bout before overcoming Nishu in the second round. However, the narrow defeat in the semi-final dashed her hopes of representing India at the continental event.

Despite the setback, Vinesh insisted that she had "not failed."

"I was fighting a whole system. I was on one side and everyone else was on the other," she said, referring to her long-running dispute with the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).


Vinesh was allowed to compete in the trials only after securing favourable rulings from both the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court.

"I had to fight for every point. I was not given a fair deal," she added.

The two-time World Championships medallist also promised to continue preparing for future competitions, though she did not specify her next target.

Earlier in the day, Vinesh was permitted to compete in the women's 53kg category after the WFI reversed its earlier decision restricting her participation to the 50kg division.

The controversy unfolded during the official weigh-in on Saturday morning when she was informed that she could compete only in the 50kg category, citing her participation in that weight class at her last four international events, including the Paris Olympics.

Vinesh strongly objected to the decision and accused the federation of discrimination, arguing that she should be allowed to compete in the category of her choice.

According to reports, the matter escalated before WFI president Sanjay Singh intervened and approved her participation in the 53kg trials as well.