Vinesh Phogat facts for kids
Phogat in 2022
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| Born | 25 August 1994 Charkhi Dadri, Haryana, India |
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| Education | Bachelor of Arts | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha, Tamil Nadu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.68 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse(s) |
Somvir Rathee
(m. 2018) |
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| Member of Haryana Legislative Assembly | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 8 October 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Amarjeet Dhanda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Constituency | Julana | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Political party | Indian National Congress | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Freestyle wrestling | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by |
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| Retired | 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest world ranking | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Vinesh Phogat (born August 25, 1994) is a famous Indian wrestler who became a politician. She is now a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the Julana area in Haryana, representing the Indian National Congress party.
Before entering politics, Vinesh was one of India's best female wrestlers. She won two bronze medals at the World Wrestling Championships. She also won gold medals at the Asian Games and three gold medals at the Commonwealth Games. Vinesh is the only Indian woman wrestler to win gold at both the Commonwealth and Asian Games. She competed in three Olympic Games, showing her amazing skill in different weight classes.
Contents
About Vinesh Phogat's Life
Vinesh Phogat was born on August 25, 1994, in Charkhi Dadri, Haryana, India. She comes from a family of wrestlers, including her sister Priyanka Phogat and cousins Geeta Phogat, Ritu Phogat, and Babita Kumari. Her uncle, Mahavir Singh Phogat, trained her and her cousins.
When Vinesh was young, her father and uncle faced challenges from their village community. People in the village did not always approve of girls pursuing competitive wrestling. Despite these difficulties, her family supported her dream.
On December 13, 2018, Vinesh married Somvir Rathee, who is also a wrestler. They had known each other since 2011 and both worked for the Indian Railways.
Vinesh's Wrestling Journey
Early Success (2013–2016)
In 2013, Vinesh won a bronze medal at the Asian Wrestling Championships in Delhi. She then won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships in South Africa.
Her first big gold medal came at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. She won in the 48 kg category, defeating Yana Rattigan from England in the final match. Later that year, she earned a bronze medal at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. She continued her success by winning a silver medal at the 2015 Asian Wrestling Championships in Doha, Qatar.
Overcoming Injuries (2016–2020)
Vinesh qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. However, during her quarterfinal match, she suffered a serious knee injury. This injury forced her to stop the match.
After recovering, Vinesh made a strong comeback. At the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, she won her second gold medal. She won all her matches in the 50 kg category. She then achieved another gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. This made her the first Indian woman wrestler to win gold at both the Commonwealth and Asian Games.
In 2019, Vinesh won a bronze medal at the World Wrestling Championships. This win was very important because it also qualified her for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She continued to win gold medals at other international tournaments, like the Yasar Dogu Tournament and the Rome Ranking Series.
Later Career and Retirement (2021–2024)
In 2021, Vinesh won gold medals at the Outstanding Ukrainian Wrestlers and Coaches Memorial tournament and the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series. These wins made her the world number one in her weight category. She also won the Poland Open wrestling tournament.
At the 2020 Summer Olympics (held in 2021 due to the pandemic), Vinesh competed as the world number one. She won her first match but lost in the quarterfinals. After the Olympics, she faced some challenges with the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
In 2022, Vinesh won her third gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. She also won her second bronze medal at the 2022 World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade.
2024 Paris Olympics and Retirement
Vinesh qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris in the 50 kg category. In a big upset, she defeated the reigning Olympic and world champion, Yui Susaki of Japan, in the first round. She continued to win her quarterfinal and semifinal matches, reaching the final. However, Vinesh was later disqualified from the final because she was slightly over the weight limit during the weigh-in. As a result, she was placed last in the competition.
After this event, Vinesh announced that she was retiring from wrestling. She also appealed the disqualification decision, but her appeal was not successful.
Political Career
After retiring from wrestling in 2024, Vinesh Phogat received a warm welcome in India. Many people encouraged her to join politics. On September 6, 2024, she officially joined the Indian National Congress party.
The Congress party chose Vinesh to run for election in the Julana area of Haryana. On October 8, 2024, the election results were announced. Even though her party did not win the state election, Vinesh won her own seat, defeating her opponent by over 6,000 votes. She is now a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Julana.
Standing Up for Others
2023 Protests for Wrestlers' Rights
In January 2023, Vinesh Phogat, along with other top Indian wrestlers like Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, led protests. They were asking for changes in the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and for action against its president, due to concerns about how female athletes were being treated. The government promised to look into their claims.
When the wrestlers felt that promises were not kept, they protested again in April 2023. Vinesh stated that she had told top government officials about the difficulties and threats she faced after speaking out. The protests led to the suspension of the WFI's leadership. In December 2023, new elections were held, but the results caused more concerns. The Sports Ministry then suspended the newly elected WFI body. Vinesh and other wrestlers continued to fight for fair leadership in wrestling.
2024 Farmers' Protests
On August 31, 2024, Vinesh Phogat joined the farmers' protest at the Shambhu border in Punjab. She supported their demand for fair prices for their crops. Vinesh expressed pride in her farming background and urged the government to solve the farmers' problems quickly. She said that the farmers' determination inspired her and others to keep fighting for important causes.
Awards and Recognition
Vinesh Phogat has received many important awards for her achievements.
- In 2016, she was given the Arjuna Award, a major sports honor in India.
- She was nominated for the Padma Shri in 2018.
- In 2019, she was the first Indian to be nominated for the Laureus World Sports Awards, which are like the "Oscars of sports."
- In 2020, she received the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, India's highest sporting honor.
- She was also nominated for the BBC Indian Sportswoman of The Year award in 2022 and 2024.
- In December 2024, Vinesh Phogat was included on the BBC's 100 Women list, recognizing influential women worldwide.
Images for kids
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Phogat in 2022
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Vinesh Phogat receiving the Arjuna Award from the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, in 2016.
See also
In Spanish: Vinesh Phogat para niños
