<p>More than a year since <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/vinesh-phogat">Vinesh Phogat </a>turned her back to wrestling — the well-documented saga of her Paris Olympic heartbreak that brought the infamous procedure of 'weight cutting' into the spotlight — the Indian wrestling queen has reignited fire inside her to return to the mat.</p><p>In a social media post, the 31-year-old Haryana grappler, who has also become a mother since then, said she is U-turning on her retirement with the dream to claim the glory at the LA Olympics 2028.</p>. <p>"People kept asking if Paris was the end. For a long time, I didn't have the answer," Vinesh wrote in an open letter on her social media accounts. "I needed to step away from the mat, from the pressure, from the expectations, even from my own ambitions. For the first time in years, I allowed myself to breathe.</p><p>"I took time to understand the weight of my journey the highs, the heartbreaks, the sacrifices, the versions of me the world never saw. And somewhere in that reflection, I found the truth, I still love this sport. I still want to compete.</p><p>"So here I am, stepping back toward LA28 with a heart that's unafraid and a spirit that refuses to bow. And this time, I'm not walking alone my son is joining my team, my biggest motivation, my little cheerleader on this road to the LA Olympics."</p>.<p>While the triple-reigning CWG champion's return is inspiring, naysayers may ask if she still has it in her to go all the way, especially when she will be 34 by the time of Los Angeles Games. Not to forget, the multi-sporting extravaganza has never been kind to her.</p><p>From a knee injury at Rio 2016 to quarterfinal exit as World No. 1 at 2020 Tokyo to the controversy of Paris 2024, the Olympics has been a tough pill to swallow for Vinesh. The 2028 challenge is only going to get stiffer, especially if she prefers to compete in her fiercely contested 53kg category.</p><p>The 2018 Asian Games Champion won't have to go far for her first hurdle, with a much-improved Antim Panghal eager to eclipse her rival. The 21-year-old wrestler, who had an unforgettable Games debut in Paris, is yet to get the better of her senior.</p><p>However, with two U-20 World titles followed by her maiden senior Worlds bronze medal earlier this year, Antim has shown why she is long touted as the next big thing in Indian wrestling and will keep Vinesh on her toes. More pressure could be on WFI as it would have to ensure a fair contest between the two amid its much-publicised sour relationship with Vinesh.</p><p>The first show-off is not far off either as Vinesh and Antim could be soon seen duelling in the 2026 season. With three big-ticket events lined up — World Championships, CWG and Asian Games — each trial for them are going to be a spectacle. Adding the never-ending Indian wrestling controversy to that and you only get a combustible storyline that will stretch far beyond the mat.</p>
<p>More than a year since <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/vinesh-phogat">Vinesh Phogat </a>turned her back to wrestling — the well-documented saga of her Paris Olympic heartbreak that brought the infamous procedure of 'weight cutting' into the spotlight — the Indian wrestling queen has reignited fire inside her to return to the mat.</p><p>In a social media post, the 31-year-old Haryana grappler, who has also become a mother since then, said she is U-turning on her retirement with the dream to claim the glory at the LA Olympics 2028.</p>. <p>"People kept asking if Paris was the end. For a long time, I didn't have the answer," Vinesh wrote in an open letter on her social media accounts. "I needed to step away from the mat, from the pressure, from the expectations, even from my own ambitions. For the first time in years, I allowed myself to breathe.</p><p>"I took time to understand the weight of my journey the highs, the heartbreaks, the sacrifices, the versions of me the world never saw. And somewhere in that reflection, I found the truth, I still love this sport. I still want to compete.</p><p>"So here I am, stepping back toward LA28 with a heart that's unafraid and a spirit that refuses to bow. And this time, I'm not walking alone my son is joining my team, my biggest motivation, my little cheerleader on this road to the LA Olympics."</p>.<p>While the triple-reigning CWG champion's return is inspiring, naysayers may ask if she still has it in her to go all the way, especially when she will be 34 by the time of Los Angeles Games. Not to forget, the multi-sporting extravaganza has never been kind to her.</p><p>From a knee injury at Rio 2016 to quarterfinal exit as World No. 1 at 2020 Tokyo to the controversy of Paris 2024, the Olympics has been a tough pill to swallow for Vinesh. The 2028 challenge is only going to get stiffer, especially if she prefers to compete in her fiercely contested 53kg category.</p><p>The 2018 Asian Games Champion won't have to go far for her first hurdle, with a much-improved Antim Panghal eager to eclipse her rival. The 21-year-old wrestler, who had an unforgettable Games debut in Paris, is yet to get the better of her senior.</p><p>However, with two U-20 World titles followed by her maiden senior Worlds bronze medal earlier this year, Antim has shown why she is long touted as the next big thing in Indian wrestling and will keep Vinesh on her toes. More pressure could be on WFI as it would have to ensure a fair contest between the two amid its much-publicised sour relationship with Vinesh.</p><p>The first show-off is not far off either as Vinesh and Antim could be soon seen duelling in the 2026 season. With three big-ticket events lined up — World Championships, CWG and Asian Games — each trial for them are going to be a spectacle. Adding the never-ending Indian wrestling controversy to that and you only get a combustible storyline that will stretch far beyond the mat.</p>