Overview
Vinesh Phogat is an Indian freestyle wrestler from Haryana, widely regarded as one of the most decorated women wrestlers India has produced. She is the first Indian woman wrestler to win gold at both the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games, and the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final. She belongs to the Phogat wrestling family of Balali village, which has produced several international wrestlers including her cousins Geeta Phogat and Babita Kumari.
Key Facts
| Full name | Vinesh Phogat |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 August 1994 |
| Place of birth | Balali, Bhiwani district (now Charkhi Dadri district), Haryana, India |
| Sport | Wrestling (freestyle) |
| Weight categories | 48 kg, 50 kg, 53 kg (varied across career) |
| Coach (early) | Mahavir Singh Phogat (uncle) |
| Spouse | Somvir Rathee (wrestler) |
| Honours | Arjuna Award (2016), Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (2020), Padma Shri (2020) |
| Political affiliation | Indian National Congress (from 2024) |
| Constituency | Julana, Haryana Legislative Assembly |
Background and Early Life
Vinesh Phogat was born on 25 August 1994 in Balali, a village in present-day Charkhi Dadri district of Haryana. She lost her father, Rajpal Singh Phogat, at a young age, after which her uncle Mahavir Singh Phogat took charge of her wrestling training along with his own daughters. Mahavir Singh's training methods and the family's pioneering role in women's wrestling were depicted in the 2016 Hindi film Dangal, although Vinesh's character in the film was a composite supporting role. She trained at the family's akhara in Balali before moving on to national-level coaching centres.
Career
Early international career
Vinesh first came to national attention with strong showings at the Commonwealth and Asian junior levels. She won a bronze medal at the 2013 Asian Wrestling Championships and a silver at the 2013 Commonwealth Wrestling Championships.
2014 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games
At the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Vinesh won a gold medal in the 48 kg category. The same year, she added a bronze at the Asian Games in Incheon.
2016 Rio Olympics
Vinesh qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics in the 48 kg category. During her quarter-final bout against China's Sun Yanan, she suffered a serious knee injury (anterior cruciate ligament damage) that ended her campaign and required surgery and a long rehabilitation.
2018 season
2018 marked her strongest year. She won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast in the 50 kg category, and then became the first Indian woman wrestler to win gold at the Asian Games when she triumphed in the 50 kg event at Jakarta. She was awarded the Laureus comeback nomination and was named one of the BBC's Indian Sportswomen of the Year.
2019–2021
Vinesh won bronze at the 2019 Asian Wrestling Championships and bronze at the 2019 World Wrestling Championships in Nur-Sultan, with the latter result earning her an Olympic quota for Tokyo. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021) in the 53 kg category, she lost in the quarter-finals and did not progress to the medal rounds.
2022 Commonwealth Games and World Championships
Vinesh won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in the 53 kg category, becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to win three Commonwealth Games gold medals. She added a bronze at the 2022 World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade.
Wrestlers' protest (2023)
In January and again from April 2023, Vinesh, along with Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and other top wrestlers, led protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi against the then president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, alleging sexual harassment of women wrestlers. The protest drew nationwide attention and led to a formal complaint and FIR being registered. The athletes were detained by Delhi Police on 28 May 2023 while marching towards the new Parliament building. The agitation significantly disrupted Vinesh's training and competition schedule.
2024 Paris Olympics
Vinesh competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the women's 50 kg freestyle category. On 6 August 2024, she defeated reigning Olympic champion Yui Susaki of Japan in the round of 16, followed by wins over Oksana Livach (Ukraine) and Yusneylis Guzmán (Cuba) to reach the final, becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to qualify for an Olympic gold-medal bout. On 7 August 2024, ahead of the final, she was disqualified after weighing in 100 grams above the 50 kg limit. She subsequently appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) seeking a joint silver medal; the appeal was dismissed. Following the disqualification, Vinesh announced her retirement from active competitive wrestling on 8 August 2024.
Political Career
In September 2024, Vinesh Phogat joined the Indian National Congress along with Bajrang Punia. She contested the 2024 Haryana Legislative Assembly election from the Julana constituency in Jind district and won, entering the Haryana Vidhan Sabha as an MLA.
Personal Life
Vinesh married Somvir Rathee, a wrestler with the Indian Railways, in December 2018. The couple lives in Haryana. She has been employed in the past with Indian Railways as a sports recruit.
Honours and Awards
- Arjuna Award – 2016
- Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna – 2020
- Padma Shri – 2020
- BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year – 2019
Major Medals
| Year | Event | Category | Medal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Commonwealth Games, Glasgow | 48 kg | Gold |
| 2014 | Asian Games, Incheon | 48 kg | Bronze |
| 2018 | Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast | 50 kg | Gold |
| 2018 | Asian Games, Jakarta | 50 kg | Gold |
| 2019 | World Championships, Nur-Sultan | 53 kg | Bronze |
| 2022 | Commonwealth Games, Birmingham | 53 kg | Gold |
| 2022 | World Championships, Belgrade | 53 kg | Bronze |
Significance
Vinesh Phogat's career has been significant for several reasons. She broke multiple barriers for Indian women in wrestling, including becoming the first Indian woman to win Asian Games gold in the sport and the first to reach an Olympic final. Her role in the 2023 wrestlers' protest brought issues of athlete welfare and federation governance into sustained public discussion in India and contributed to administrative changes in the WFI. Her transition from elite sport to electoral politics in 2024 also placed her among a small group of Indian sportswomen to enter a state legislature shortly after retirement.
Related Topics
- Phogat Family
- Geeta Phogat
- Babita Kumari
- Mahavir Singh Phogat
- Sakshi Malik
- Bajrang Punia
- Wrestling Federation of India
- India at the 2024 Summer Olympics
- 2023 Indian Wrestlers' Protest
- Haryana Legislative Assembly
- Dangal (film)
References
- Wrestling Federation of India – athlete records.
- United World Wrestling – competition results database.
- Olympic Games official results, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
- Commonwealth Games Federation – results archive (2014, 2018, 2022).
- Government of India, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports – national sports awards records.
- Election Commission of India – Haryana Legislative Assembly election results, 2024.