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Vinesh Phogat Biography: The Olympic season is here and we are all set to talk about some of the best Olympic winners in the history of India. Vinesh Phogat won 3 consecutive CWG gold medals, 2 world bronze, qualified for world’s and Asia’s qualifiers, and she has backed many more awards in her name. These are some of the amazing works of her but in this article, we will discuss everything about her life.
Table of Contents
Biography of Vinesh Phogat
She belongs to a family of wrestlers but it does not mean that her success came easy to her. She had to prove her worth in the family of wrestlers. Here is an overview of Vnesh Phogat.
| Overview of Vinesh Phogat | |
| Name | Vinesh Phogat |
| Birthdate | 25 August 1994 |
| Achievements | First Indian woman wrestler to win gold at both the Commonwealth and Asian Games |
| Only Indian woman wrestler to win multiple medals at the World Wrestling Championships | |
| First Indian athlete to be nominated for the Laureus World Sports Awards in 2019 | |
| Family Background | One of the Phogat sisters who won international wrestlers and Commonwealth Games medalists |
| Protest Leadership | Leader of the 2023 Indian wrestlers’ protest against BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh, held in January and April 2023 |
Personal Life of Vinesh Phogat
Here is a part of Vinesh Phogat’s biography about her family members and personal life.
- Vinesh comes from a very well-known wrestling family. She is the daughter of late wrestler Rajpal Phogat, and cousin to the famous Phogat sisters, Geeta and Babita.
- Her family faced significant opposition from their community in Haryana for allowing the girls to carry wrestling as a career, which was seen as against traditional norms.
- Vinesh married fellow wrestler Somvir Rathee in 2018. The couple met while working for Indian Railways.
- She suffered a career-threatening knee injury (ACL tear) during the Rio Olympics. Vinesh has been also forced to withdraw from the 2023 Asian Games due to a left knee injury sustained in training in August 2023. While disappointed to miss the Asian Games, Phogat remained determined to recover in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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Achievements of Vinesh Phogat
Vinesh Phogat has represented India in many international games and actively participated in bringing changes within the nation as well.
| Year | Event | Medal | Location |
| 2013 | Asian Wrestling Championships | Bronze | New Delhi, India |
| 2013 | Commonwealth Wrestling Championships | Silver | Johannesburg, South Africa |
| 2014 | Commonwealth Games | Gold | Glasgow, Scotland |
| 2014 | Asian Games | Bronze | Incheon, South Korea |
| 2015 | Asian Championships | Silver | Doha, Qatar |
| 2016 | Summer Olympics | 10th Rank | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| 2018 | Commonwealth Games | Gold | Gold Coast, Australia |
| 2018 | Asian Games | Gold | Jakarta, Indonesia |
| 2019 | Asian Wrestling Championships | Bronze | Xi’an, China |
| 2019 | Yasar Dogu International | Gold | Istanbul, Turkey |
| 2019 | Poland Open | Gold | Warsaw, Poland |
| 2019 | World Wrestling Championships | Bronze | Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan |
| 2020 | Rome Ranking Series | Gold | Rome, Italy |
| 2021 | Outstanding Ukrainian Wrestlers and Coaches Memorial | Gold | Kiev, Ukraine |
| 2021 | Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series | Gold | Rome, Italy |
| 2021 | Poland Open | Gold | Warsaw, Poland |
| 2021 | Summer Olympics | 9th Rank | Tokyo, Japan |
| 2022 | Commonwealth Games | Gold | Birmingham, England |
| 2022 | World Wrestling Championships | Bronze | Belgrade, Serbia |
| 2024 | Asian Wrestling Olympic Qualification Tournament | – | Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan |
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Vinesh Phogat and the Wrestling Protest
Vinesh Phogat has been an active part of India-wide protest against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
- January 2023: Vinesh Phogat led a protest with other wrestlers against sexual harassment allegations against WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
- Government Response: The government promised an oversight committee, leading to the protest’s temporary end.
- April 2023: Protest resumed as the government was perceived to be inactive. She claimed harassment, torture, and threats after reporting the issue to Prime Minister Modi and Sports Minister Anurag Thakur.
Awards and Honours
Here are the total awards and honours won by Vinesh Phogat along with the year.
| Awards/Honors | Year |
| Arjuna Award | 2016 |
| Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna | 2020 |
| Commonwealth Games Gold Medal | 2014, 2018 |
| Asian Games Gold Medal | 2018 |
| Asian Wrestling Championships (Gold) | 2021 |
| World Wrestling Championships (Bronze) | 2019, 2022 |
| Padma Shri | 2020 |
In the Paris Olympics of 2024, Vinesh Phogat was disqualified in her final bout. Citing the reason as overweight with 100gm, she was disqualified to fight in the 50kg weight category. After the decision, she challenged it in CAS, but she also announced her retirement from the sport and to play in the Olympics further. With this, we come to the end of Vinesh Phogat’s biography.
FAQ
Vinesh Phogat, daughter of wrestler Rajpal Phogat, is the cousin of Commonwealth Games gold medalists Geeta and Babita Phogat.
She is one of the Phogat sisters. These sisters are Geeta, Babita, Priyanka, Ritu, Vinesh, and Sangeeta.
Vinesh Phogat backed gold at the 2018 Asian Games and 2022 Commonwealth Games, showcasing her dominance on the international stage. Additionally, she has secured bronze medals at the World Wrestling Championships.
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