Main wapas aaungi: Vinesh Phogat quit Asian Games trials after semi-final defeat

Vinesh Phogat saw her hopes of a place in India’s squad for the 2026 Asian Games ended after she suffered a 6-4 defeat to Meenakshi Goyat in the women’s 53kg semi-final at the selection trials on Friday.

In a close contest, Vinesh and Meenakshi went point for point for long stretches of the match. However, Meenakshi held her nerve in the crucial moments and stayed ahead when it mattered most, securing her place in the final with a hard-fought victory.

The defeat marked a major setback for Vinesh, who returned to the competition with the aim of securing a place in the Asian Games squad. As she walked off the mat after her loss, the former world champion and Olympic medalist left the crowd with a message that drew applause from those in attendance.

“Mai phir aaugi (I will be back),” Vinesh said before leaving the arena.

While Vinesh’s campaign ended in the semi-finals, Meenakshi’s win kept her on course for the Asian Games as she advanced to the finals of the trials.

Earlier in the day, Vinesh Phogat marked his return to competitive wrestling in emphatic fashion as he overcame two tough matches to reach the semi-finals at the selection trials held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi on Friday.

Competing for the first time since her heartbreaking campaign at the Paris Olympics, Vinesh started her day with a commanding 7-1 win over Jyoti in the round of 16. The former World Championship medalist was given a warning for passivity at the start of the competition but quickly found her rhythm afterwards. Once settled, Vinesh dictated the pace of the match and comfortably outplayed her opponent to book her place in the quarter-finals.

The event was briefly interrupted when the control monitor on Mat 1 failed, causing driving to stop for around 10 minutes. However, the delay did little to dent Vinesh’s momentum heading into the next match.

The quarter final against Nish turned into a tense affair controversy and heated exchanges of opinion. Vinesh was trailing 0-5 with three minutes remaining before the match turned in her favor. When Vinesh attempted a parry, the referee awarded her four points instead of allowing the move to continue. Vinesh, who believed she was entitled to more, challenged the decision and won a review.

Moments later, she made an arm throw that was only awarded two points instead of four. Vinesh challenged again but failed this time, although she did enough to reduce the deficit and take a 6-5 lead.

The first flashpoint came when Vinesh’s husband Somvir Rathee entered the playing field to protest against the authority’s decision. Tensions further escalated when officials allegedly failed to show the footage they had promised to review. The rift soon intensified when WFI president Sanjay Singh and members of his entourage engaged in a verbal exchange with Vinesh’s camp.

Amidst the chaos, Vinesh remained calm. She controlled the closing stages of the competition, overcoming Nisha 7-6 to book her place in the semi-finals, keeping her Asian Games hopes alive before Minakshi ended her run later in the day.

– The end

Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

30 May 2026 16:47 IST