India in shock as wrestling sensation Ritu Phogat quits for MMA with One Championship
- Wrestling Federation of India claims it was kept in the dark and ‘can’t believe’ national champion’s decision to join Singapore-based One Championship
- The 24-year-old says wrestling is her ‘first love’ but it’s time for a ‘new journey’
Indian wrestling chiefs were left blindsided after wrestling sensation Ritu Phogat gave up her chance at chasing Olympic glory to compete in mixed martial arts with One Championship.
One of India’s biggest prospects for glory at the Tokyo 2020 Games, the 24-year-old Phogat has signed a multi-fight deal with One, the Singapore-based promotion announced on Tuesday.
“It’s time for a new journey, a new challenge, a new beginning, but the goal will remain the same – to represent my country and win championships for my country,” Phogat wrote in an Instagram post. “Things won’t be so easy but when the going gets tough the tough get going.”
Her decision stunned the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), which said Ritu kept them in the dark. Earlier this month she pulled out of the senior women’s national wrestling camp in Lucknow, claiming she was injured.