Vinesh Phogat is a prominent Indian wrestler born on August 25, 1994, in Bhiwani, Haryana. Vinesh Phogat has three Commonwealth Games golds, two World Championships bronze medals, and one Asian Games gold medal. She was also crowned Asian champion in 2021.
She entered the final of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris and is assured of winning an Olympic Gold or Silver, making her the first Indian female wrestler to achieve this feat.
She belongs to the famous Phogat family, which has produced several notable wrestlers. Here is a detailed biography of Vinesh Phogat.
Vinesh Phogat Personal Details
| Nationality | Indian |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 August 1994 (age 29) Charkhi Dadri, Haryana, India |
| Height | 159 cm (5 ft 3 in) |
| Weight | 50 kg (110 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Country | India |
| Sport | Freestyle wrestling |
| Event | 48 kg/50 kg/53 kg |
| Coached by | Mahavir Singh Phogat Woller Akos |
Vinesh Phogat Education
Vinesh Phogat was born into a family of wrestlers in the village of Balali in Haryana on August 25, 1994. Vinesh Phogat received her early schooling at KCM Senior Secondary School in Jhojhu Kalan. She finished the graduate program at Maharshi Dayanand University in Rohtak.
Vinesh Phogat Family
She is the daughter of Rajpal Phogat and Premlata Phogat. Vinesh’s uncle, Mahavir Singh Phogat, a former wrestler and Dronacharya Award recipient, played a significant role in her training and development as a wrestler.
Vinesh Phogat is a cousin of wrestlers Geeta and Babita. Her cousins have won gold in the 55 kg category at the Commonwealth Games.
Vinesh married Somvir Rathee, a fellow wrestler and long-time boyfriend, on 13 December 2018. Somvir Rathee is from Bakhta Khera village of Jind district. He is a two-time gold medalist at the national championships.
Vinesh Phogat Career Highlights
2013 Asian Wrestling Championships: In the 2013, Asian Wrestling Championships in New Delhi, India, Vinesh won the bronze medal in the women’s freestyle 52 kg category, winning 3:0 in the bronze medal bout.
2014 Commonwealth Games: Vinesh represented India in the women’s freestyle 48 kg category at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and won the gold medal.
2014 Asian Games: At the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, Vinesh won a bronze medal in the women’s freestyle 48 kg category
2015 Asian Wrestling Championships: She secured the silver medal in the women’s freestyle 48 kg category.
2016 Rio Olympics: Vinesh was a medal hopeful but suffered a career-threatening knee injury during the quarterfinal bout, which ended her campaign.
2018 Commonwealth Games: Vinesh Phogat won the gold medal in women’s 50 kg freestyle wrestling at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast.
2018 Asian Games: She made history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to win a gold medal at the Asian Games in the 50 kg category.
2019 World Wrestling Championships: Vinesh won the bronze medal in the 53 kg category, securing a place for India in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
2020 Tokyo Olympics: She participated in the 53 kg category but did not win a medal.
Vinesh Phogat Paris Olympics 2024
She entered the final of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris. Vinesh Phogat defied huge odds to assure herself of a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics by reaching the final in the women’s 50kg wrestling event. The 29-year-old Vinesh Phogat also became the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final in wrestling.
In the semi-final, both Vinesh and Cuba’s Yusneylys started defensively but the Indian wrestler Vinesh was awarded a point for Yusneylis’s passivity and ended the first period with a slender one-point lead. Both wrestlers continued to be on guard at the start of the second period. However, Vinesh, in danger of conceding a point on passivity, executed two takedowns to lead 5-0. Vinesh held on to her lead in the final 30 seconds to make it the final of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
In the semis, Vinesh triumphed over Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez, securing her historic medal and becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final. Her achievements followed years of overcoming various forms of resistance, from societal norms in her village to powerful federation officials.
In Paris, she faced Japanese wrestler Yui Susaki, a four-time world Olympic champion who had never lost an international bout.
The transition from competing in 53kg to 50kg was laden with challenges. It required her to adjust her training and nutrition significantly. Additionally, facing the demands of knee surgery and its recovery process tested her mettle. However, she overcame the physical challenges with sheer willpower and meticulous planning.
Heartbreak at the Paris Olympics
The ace Indian grappler suffered a major setback just before her final match as she was disqualified from wrestling at the Paris Olympics 2024 for being overweight. The Indian grappler Vinesh Phogat was about to compete for Gold in the Women’s wrestling finals against America’s Sarah Hildebrandt. Vinesh usually competes in the 53kg category but lowered her weight to 50kg for the Paris Olympics. Vinesh weighed over the desired limit, though by a small margin of about 100 grams.
🚨 It is with regret that the Indian contingent shares news of the disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from the Women’s Wrestling 50kg class. Despite the best efforts by the team through the night, she weighed in a few grams over 50kg this morning. No further comments will be made…
— Team India (@WeAreTeamIndia) August 7, 2024
Also Read: Manu Bhaker Biography
Vinesh Phogat Retirement
After her heartbreaking disqualification from the Paris Olympics because he was overweight by just 100gm before her final match she announced her retirement by sharing one emotional message on twitter.
माँ कुश्ती मेरे से जीत गई मैं हार गई माफ़ करना आपका सपना मेरी हिम्मत सब टूट चुके इससे ज़्यादा ताक़त नहीं रही अब।
— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) August 7, 2024
अलविदा कुश्ती 2001-2024 🙏
आप सबकी हमेशा ऋणी रहूँगी माफी 🙏🙏
Awards and Honors
- Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna – The highest sports honor in India, she received it in 2020.
- Arjuna Award, winner in 2016.
- Padma Shri was nominated in 2018 by the Sports Authority of India.
Summer Olympic Games
| Year | Competition | Venue | Event | Rank | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2016 Summer Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro | 48 kg | 10th |  Sun Yanan (CHN) | |
| 2020 | 2020 Summer Olympic Games | Tokyo | 53 kg | 9th |  Vanesa Kaladzinskaya (BLR) | L 3–9F |
| 2024 | 2024 Summer Olympic Games | Paris | 50 kg | Finals yet to be played |  Sarah Hildebrandt (USA) |
Vinesh Phogat Social Media
Wrestlers Protest
In a shocking revelation that stunned the wrestling community, Vinesh Phogat accused Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the President of the Wrestling Federation of India and a BJP MLA, of sexual harassment. Vinesh brought these allegations to light, standing in support of women wrestlers who were allegedly sexually exploited by Singh.
Following these revelations, Vinesh Phogat, along with prominent wrestlers such as Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, staged a dharna at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. They demanded a fair investigation and strict punishments for the accused, including the WFI president and implicated coaches. Vinesh’s bold stand highlighted the need for accountability and justice within the sports community.
