Who is Vinesh Phogat? Age, Records, Biography, Medals, Earnings, Olympics performance
Coming from one of India's most celebrated wrestling families, Vinesh Phogat is presently one of the finest wrestlers in the country. She will be representing India in the 53kgs category at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
After an outstanding victory in the Poland Open where she won gold earlier this year, Vinesh will be confident of a stellar show in the upcoming Olympics, which kicks off on July 25.
Biography
Coming from a family of wrestlers, Vinesh Phogat also followed in on the footsteps of her cousin sisters, Geeta Phogat and Babita Kumari. She was introduced to wrestling at an early age by her uncle Mahabir Singh Phogat.
Despite the growing popularity of Geeta and Babita, Vinesh had to face societal obstruction from fellow villagers, who considered wrestling to be a men's sport. She also had to overcome the passing away of his father only at the age of nine years.
Amid all the adversities, Vinesh found her guide in her uncle Mahavir Singh Phogat, who gave her all the support she needed. It paid dividends as Vinesh Phogat is currently considered among the best wrestlers in the world.
Her cousin Ritu Phogat is also an international level wrestler and won a gold medal at the 2016 Commonwealth Wrestling Championship.
How old is Vinesh Phogat?
Born on August 25, 1994 in the Bhiwani district of Haryana, Vinesh is currently 26 years old.
Having won a couple of international tournaments in recent times, Vinesh Phogat will certainly have her eyes firmly set on the Olympic medal in the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
What are Vinesh Phogat's achievements?
After dominating the circuit at junior level, Vinesh tasted her first major success at the 2014 Commonwealth Games where she bagged gold in the 48kg category. In the same year, she won a bronze medal in the women's freestyle 48kg category at the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.
She won a couple of more medals in 2015 leading up to the Rio Olympics in 2016. Vinesh Phogat sealed a berth in the game by winning her event in Istanbul but crashed out of the Olympics in the quarterfinals.
Going up against China's Sun Yanan, Vinesh suffered a dislocation in her right knee and had to be stretchered off the mat. She displayed extreme resilience and used pain and anguish to motivate herself.
Vinesh Phogat made a fitting comeback, winning gold at both the 2018 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. She then decided to jump to the 53kg category and looked unperturbed by the transition.
She won bronze at the Asian Wrestling Championships before grabbing her maiden World Championships medal at Nur-Sultan. Vinesh continued her brilliant run winning gold at the Asian Wrestling Championship and Poland Open earlier this year and will look to win her maiden Olympic medal next month.
She was conferred with the Arjuna award in 2016 and received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 2020, India's highest sporting honour.
Earning
Arguably the best wrestler in the country, Vinesh Phogat earns INR 50,000 monthly as part of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports' flagship program, the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).
Performance in Olympics
Vinesh Phogat landed in Rio with a lot of hope and looked in rhythm until things changed upside down in the quarter-final game. She dislocated her right and had to leave the game midway.
However, riding on her excellent form in recent times, Vinesh will aim nothing short of a gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics.