Jump to content

Vinesh Phogat

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The printable version is no longer supported and may have rendering errors. Please update your browser bookmarks and please use the default browser print function instead.

Vinesh Phogat
Phogat in August 2022
Personal information
Born (1994-08-25) 25 August 1994 (age 30)
Charkhi Dadri, Haryana, India
Height168 cm (5 ft 6 in)
Weight50 kg (110 lb)
Spouse
Somvir Rathee
(m. 2018)
RelativePhogat sisters
Member of Haryana Legislative Assembly
Assumed office
8 October 2024
Preceded byAmarjeet Dhanda
ConstituencyJulana
Personal details
Political partyIndian National Congress
Sport
CountryIndia
SportFreestyle wrestling
Events
  • 48 kg
  • 50kg
  • 53 kg
Coached by
Retired2024
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking1
Medal record
Women's Freestyle Wrestling
Representing  India
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
World Championships - - 2
Asian Games 1 - 1
Commonwealth Games 3 - -
Asian Championships 1 3 4
Total 5 3 7
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Belgrade 53 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Nur-Sultan 53 kg
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2018 Jakarta 50 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Incheon 48 kg
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 2014 Glasgow 48 kg
Gold medal – first place 2018 Gold Coast 50 kg
Gold medal – first place 2022 Birmingham 53 kg
Asian Championships
Gold medal – first place 2021 Almaty 53 kg
Silver medal – second place 2015 Doha 48 kg
Silver medal – second place 2017 New Delhi 55 kg
Silver medal – second place 2018 Bishkek 50 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2013 New Delhi 51 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Bangkok 53 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Xi'an 53 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2020 New Delhi 53 kg
Commonwealth Championships
Gold medal – first place 2017 Johannesburg 55 kg
Poland Open
Gold medal – first place 2021 Warsaw 53 kg
Yasar Dogu Tournament
Gold medal – first place 2019 Istanbul 53 kg
Dan Kolov and Nikola Petrov Tournament
Silver medal – second place 2019 Ruse 53 kg
Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series
Gold medal – first place 2021 Italy 53 kg
Gold medal – first place 2020 Italy 53 kg
Youth Wrestling Championship
Silver medal – second place 2013 Johannesburg [1] 51 kg
Updated on 21 August 2024

Vinesh Phogat (pronounced [ʋɪˈneːʃ ˈpʰoːɡɑːʈ]; born 25 August 1994) is an Indian politician and former wrestler, who is a current member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in Haryana. She won the 2024 assembly election from Julana constituency representing the Indian National Congress.[2][3][4] Previously as a wrestler, she was a multiple-gold medalist of Commonwealth Games, with her wins in 2014, 2018, and 2022.

In her wrestling career, Phogat achieved a milestone when she won the gold medal in the 2018 Asian Games and became the first Indian woman wrestler to win a gold medal at both the Commonwealth and Asian Games. She has also won two bronze medals at the World Wrestling Championships. She is a three-time Olympian, having competed in three different weight classes: 48 kg in 2016, 53 kg in 2020, and 50 kg in 2024. In the 2024 Summer Olympics, she became the first Indian female wrestler to reach an Olympic final. However, she was disqualified after exceeding the stipulated weight by 100 grams (3.5 oz) on the second day of her event. After her disqualification, she announced her retirement.

In 2023, she was part of the 2023 Indian wrestlers' protest against then president of Wrestling Federation of India and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was accused of sexual harassment by several female wrestlers. In 2024, she supported the farmer's protest at Shambhu border,[5] and was honoured by the farmer union leaders.[6]

Early and personal life

Phogat was born on 25 August 1994 in Charkhi Dadri, Haryana, India.[7] She is the daughter of Rajpal Phogat and Premlata Phogat and hails from a family of wrestlers.[8] Her sister Priyanka Phogat and cousins Geeta Phogat, Ritu Phogat and Babita Kumari are all wrestlers.[9][10] She was trained by her uncle Mahavir Singh Phogat.[11]

During the early years, Phogat's father and uncle had to deal with opposition from the community in their village to help her and her cousins pursue competitive wrestling as they were judged to be going against the morals and values of their community.[12] When she was nine years old, her father was shot dead in front of their house by a relative of her family.[13]

On 13 December 2018, she married fellow wrestler Somvir Rathee from Jind.[14][15] Both of them worked for the Indian Railways and have known each other since 2011.[16]

Sports career

Early career (2013–2016)

At the 2013 Asian Wrestling Championships held in Delhi, Phogat won the bronze medal in the women's freestyle 51 kg category. She defeated Nanami Irie of Japan in the initial bout before she lost to Tatyana Amanzhol of Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals. In the repechage rounds, Tho-Kaew Sriprapa of Thailand to win the bronze medal.[17][18] In the subsequent Commonwealth Wrestling Championships held in Johannesburg, South Africa, she won the silver medal in the 51 kg category after she lost to Odunayo Adekuoroye of Nigeria in the final.[19] In her first Commonwealth Games in 2014, she competed in the 48 kg category. She defeated Rosemary Nweke of Nigeria in the quarterfinals and Jasmine Mian of Canada in the semi-finals. In the gold medal bout, she defeated Yana Rattigan of England by a score of 3-1 and won her first gold medal at the Games.[20][21]

Phogat won a bronze medal in the 48 kg category at the 2014 Asian Games held in Incheon, South Korea.[22] She defeated Yongmi of North Korea in the first round before she overcame Dauletbike Yakhshimuratova of Uzbekistan in the quarterfinals. She lost to Eri Tosaka of Japan in the semi-finals by a scoreline of 1–3. She won the bronze medal after she beat Narangerel Eredenesukh of Mongolia by technical superiority in the repechage bout.[23] She won the silver medal in the 2015 Asian Championships held at Doha, Qatar after she was unable to beat Yuki Irie of Japan in the finals.[24]

Injury and comeback (2016–2020)

Phogat receives the Arjuna Award from President Shri Pranab Mukherjee.

In April 2016, Phogat was slated to compete at the 2016 World Wrestling Olympic Qualification Tournament 1 held at Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia in a bid to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics. But, she was disqualified from the competition as she was found to be 100 grams above the weight category and was let off with a warning.[25] Subsequently, Phogat qualified for 2016 Summer Olympics at the 2016 World Wrestling Olympic Qualification Tournament 2 event held in Istanbul, where she beat Polish wrestler Iwona Matkowska in the final.[26] She competed in the 48 kg category at her first Olympics in 2016 at Rio de Janeiro. She won the round of 16 bout against Alina Vuc of Romania easily by technical superiority. During the quarterfinal bout against Sun Yanan of China, she retired after she suffered a anterior cruciate ligament injury during the match.[27][28]

Phogat made a comeback and participated in the 50 kg category in her second Commonwealth Games in 2018 in Gold Coast, Australia. In the event which was held in round-robin format, she won all her matches to secure her second gold medal across the Commonwealth Games.[29][30] In the subsequent 2018 Asian Games at Jakarta, she competed in the 50 kg category. She avenged her loss against Sun Yanan of China in the round of 16 before she beat Kim Hyung-joo of South Korea in the quarterfinals and Dauletbike Yakhshimuratova of Uzbekistan in the semifinals. In the finals, she beat Japan's Yuki Irie to win the gold medal. She became first Indian woman wrestler to win a gold at both the Commonwealth and Asian Games.[31][32][33] In the 2019 Asian Wrestling Championships, she won a bronze medal by defeating Qianyu Pang of China.[34] In the subsequent 2019 Yasar Dogu Tournament, Phogat won the gold medal by defeating Ekaterina Poleshchuk of Russia in the final.[35]

In the 2019 World Wrestling Championships, she won the bronze medal in the 53 kg category after she defeated Maria Prevolaraki in the bronze medal match.[36] She also became the first Indian wrestler to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics 2020 by virtue of her top six finish in the tournament.[37] In January 2020, she won the gold medal in the Rome Ranking Series after she defeated Luisa Valverde in the finals.[38] Phogat was nominated for the Laureus World Sports Awards in 2019 and was the first Indian to get a nomination for the award.

Later career (2021–2024)

Phogat defeated the 2017 World Champion Vanesa Kaladzinskaya of Belarus to win the gold medal at the Outstanding Ukrainian Wrestlers and Coaches Memorial tournament held in Kyiv in February 2021.[39] She also won the gold medal at the 2021 Matteo Pellicone Ranking Series event to become the world number one in her weight category.[40] In June 2021, she won the gold medal in the 53 kg category in the Poland Open wrestling tournament in Warsaw after defeating Ukraine's Khrystyna Bereza in the final.[41][42][43]

In August 2021, she headed to compete in the women's 53 kg event at the 2020 Summer Olympics as the world number one.[37] Though she defeated Sofia Mattsson of Sweden in the first round, she was beaten by Belarusian Vanesa Kaladzinskaya in the quarterfinals.[44] Soon after the Olympics, she was suspended by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for indiscipline citing that she had refused to train with her Indian teammates at the Olympics Village and had not worn the official Indian kit at the Olympics.[45] As WFI expressed its disapproval of private partners, she issued an apology on the matter.[46] In November 2021, WFI prevented private NGOs from signing contracts with and training wrestlers without its approval, leading to Phogat losing her private contract with JSW Sports.[47]

In the women's 53 kg event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, she bagged the gold medal after she won all her bouts.[48][49] In the 53 kg event at the 2022 World Wrestling Championships held in Belgrade, she won her second World Championship bronze medal.[50] She lost her first round bout against Batkhuyagiin Khulan of Mongolia, but won three straight games in the repechage rounds to win the bronze.[51][52]

2024 Paris Olympics and retirement

As Antim Panghal had secured an Olympic quota in the 53 kg weight class, Phogat competed in the lower 50 kg weight class at the 2024 Asian Wrestling Olympic Qualification Tournament in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and earned a quota place for the 50 kg category in the 2024 Summer Olympics.[53][54] In the first round of the Paris Olympics, she defeated reigning Olympic and world champion Yui Susaki of Japan, who had not conceded a single point to an opponent in the Tokyo Olympics.[55][56] The match was a cagey affair with Susaki leading 2–0 through two penalty points until the final few seconds when the Indian effected a takedown and scored an upset win.[57] Phogat beat Oksana Livach of Ukraine in the quarterfinals and Yusneylys Guzmán of Cuba in the semifinals by point decisions to qualify for the final.[58][59][60] However, Phogat was later disqualified for being above the stipulated weight during the weigh-in on the morning of the finals.[61][62] As a result, she was relegated to last place in the classification.[63][64]

After her disqualification, Phogat announced that she had appealed against the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. She had demanded that she be awarded the joint silver medal in the event as she was within the legal weight limits during the first day of the bout. She also announced her retirement from the sport with immediate effect.[65][66][67] In a short verdict, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed the petition filed by Phogat requesting a joint silver medal.[68]

Political career

After the 2024 Olympics, Phogat announced her retirement from sports, and upon her return to India, she got a grand welcome led by Congress leader Deepender Hooda along with a roadshow from IGI airport in New Delhi to her village in Haryana.[69] Subsequently, she was also felicitated by the Haryana Khap Panchayat, a local farmer-based community organization, and many supporters urged Phogat to join politics.[70][69] On 4 September 2024, Phogat met Congress leader, Rahul Gandhi, along with fellow wrestler Bajrang Punia.[2] On 6 September, Phogat joined the Congress after meeting Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and other senior leaders.[2]

Subsequent to her joining the party, the Indian National Congress fielded Phogat as their candidate from the Julana assembly constituency constituency for the 2024 Haryana Legislative Assembly election.[3][4] Political analysts claimed that since a significant number of Haryana's farmers are from Jat community, which has been against the BJP over the demand for a legal guarantee of a Minimum Support Price (MSP), the entry of Phogat in Congress could help them consolidate its Jat votes.[71] On 8 October 2024, when election results were announced, Congress could not secure a victory in the state, but Phogat won her seat,[72] defeating BJP candidate Yogesh Kumar by over 6,000 votes.[72]

Socio-political activism

2023 protests against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI)

In January 2023, Phogat along with more than 30 Indian wrestlers that included Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Anshu Malik, organised a protest demanding the dissolution of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and action against its president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, after it was alleged that its coaches had been harassing female players sexually for years.[73] The protests were dropped after the Indian Government pledged to form an oversight committee to look into the claims.[74][75] In April 2023, the wrestlers returned to protests, claiming that the Government did not honour its commitments.[76] During the protests, Phogat said that she informed the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sports Minister Anurag Thakur about the mental harassment, torture and threats to her life after she accused and reported Bhushan.[77]

After a full month of protest, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports instructed Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in May to suspend WFI and appoint an ad-hoc panel to oversee the functions of Indian wrestling.[78] The panel was also instructed to hold elections for the appointment of a new WFI chief within 45 days.[78] On 28 May 2023, Phogat, Sakshi, Bajrang and other protesting wrestlers were detained by the Delhi Police when they were marching towards the Indian Parliament to organize a protest for their call of arresting Brij Bhushan.[79]

In August 2023, the United World Wrestling (UWW) suspended WFI's membership due to its failure in organizing elections for the post of WFI chief. This restricted India's ability to field wrestlers under the Indian flag in international wrestling events.[80] The elections for WFI chief and 14 other posts were finally organized on 21 December 2023. Sanjay Singh, accused to be a close aide of Brij Bhushan Singh, sweeped the elections winning 13 out of 15 posts.[81] After outrage by Phogat and other protesting wrestlers,[82] on 24 December 2023 the Sports Ministry suspended the newly elected WFI body led by Sanjay Singh citing the disregard for established policies and procedures.[83] In March 2024, the IOA suspended ad-hoc committee that was overseeing the operations of WFI, leading to Sanjay Singh assuming full charge of WFI.[84] Phogat, Bajrang, and other protesting wrestlers challenged it in court, and the Delhi High Court passed an order in their favor on 16 August 2024 asking IOA to put its ad-hoc committee back in charge of WFI until the Union government recalled its suspension order formally.[85][86]

2024 farmers' protests

On 31 August 2024, Phogat joined the ongoing 200 days long farmers’ protest at Punjab's Shambhu border in support of legal guarantee for all their crops at a Minimum Support Price (MSP).[5] In her speech at the Shambhu border, Phogat expressed admiration for the farmers noting that she was proud to be born in a farmer's family, and subsequently, she was honoured with garlands by the farmer union leaders.[6] Coming out in support of farmers protest, Phogat said, “the farmers of the country are in trouble, their problems should be resolved", further asserting that the government should address the farmer's issues as a top priority.[5] She noted that the determination of farmers to continue their agitation for such a long time has also inspired others to continue fighting for their causes.[6]

Record against select opponents

Achievements

Legend
  • W – Win; L – Loss;
  • F – Victory by fall
  • R - Retired

Summer Olympic Games

Year Venue Event Opponent Score Round Rank
2016 Rio de Janeiro 48 kg  Sun Yanan (CHN) L 1R-2 Quarterfinal 10
2020 Tokyo 53 kg  Vanesa Kaladzinskaya (BLR) L 3–9F Quarterfinal 9
2024 Paris 50 kg  Sarah Hildebrandt (USA) DQ Final LFO[87]

World Championships

Year Venue Event Opponent Score Round Rank
2013 Budapest 51 kg  Isabelle Sambou (SEN) L 3–6 Round of 16 10
2015 Las Vegas 48 kg  Kim Hyon-gyong (PRK) L 4–8 Round of 32 22
2017 Paris 48 kg  Victoria Anthony (USA) L 4-6F Round of 16 10
2019 Nur-Sultan 53 kg  Maria Prevolaraki (GRE) W 4–1 Repechage 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
2022 Belgrade 53 kg  Jonna Malmgren (SWE) W 8–0 Repechage 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)

Asian Games

Year Venue Event Opponent Score Round Rank
2014 Incheon 48 kg  Eri Tosaka (JPN) L 4–6 Repechage 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
2018 Jakarta 50 kg  Yuki Irie (JPN) W 6–2 Final 1st place, gold medalist(s)

Commonwealth Games

Year Venue Event Opponent Score Round Rank
2014 Glasgow 48 kg  Yana Rattigan (ENG) W 11–8 Final 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2018 Gold Coast 50 kg  Jessica MacDonald (CAN) W 13–3 Round-robin 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2022 Birmingham 53 kg  Samantha Stewart (CAN) W 2–0 Round-robin 1st place, gold medalist(s)

Asian Wrestling Championships

Year Venue Event Opponent Result Round Rank
2014 New Delhi 51 kg  Tho-Kaew Sriprapa (THA) W 4–2 Repechage 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
2015 Doha 48 kg  Yuki Irie (JPN) L 2–3 Final 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2016 Bangkok 53 kg  Pak Yong-mi (PRK) W 9F-4 Repechage 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
2017 New Delhi 55 kg  Sae Nanjo (JPN) L 4–8 Final 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2018 Bishkek 50 kg  Lei Chun (CHN) L 2–3 Final 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2019 Xi'an 53 kg  Pang Qianyu (CHN) W 8–1 Repechage 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
2020 New Delhi 53 kg  Kiều Thị Ly (VIE) W 10–0 Repechage 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
2021 Almaty 53 kg  Meng Hsuan (TPE) W 6F-0 Finals 1st place, gold medalist(s)

Honours

Phogat was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2016.[88] In 2018, she was nominated for Padma Shri by the Sports Authority of India.[89] She was nominated for the Laureus World Sports Awards in 2019 and was the first Indian to get a nomination for the award.[90] In 2020, she was awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, India's highest sporting honour.[91] She was also nominated for the BBC Indian Sportswoman of The Year award for 2022.[92]

Electoral Performance

2024 Haryana Legislative Assembly election: Julana[93]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
INC Vinesh Phogat 65,080 46.86 Increase37.02
BJP Yogesh Kumar Bairagi 59,065 42.53 Increase12.66
INLD Surender Lather 10,158 7.31 Increase6.66
JJP Amarjeet Dhanda 2,477 1.78 Decrease47.23
AAP Kavita Dalal 1,280 0.92 Increase0.16
NOTA None of the Above 202 0.15 Decrease0.06
Majority 6,015 4.33 Decrease14.81
Turnout 1,38,871 74.83 Increase2.05
Registered electors 1,85,565
INC gain from JJP Swing Increase37.02

References

  1. ^ "2013 - Commonwealth Wrestling Championships". Commonwealth Amateur Wrestling Association (CAWA). Archived from the original on 21 March 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  2. ^ a b c "Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia join Congress ahead of Haryana 'dangal'". Hindustan Times. 6 September 2024. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Congress releases list of 31 candidates for Haryana elections; Vinesh Phogat fielded from Julana". Hindustan Times. 6 September 2024. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Haryana polls: Congress's 1st list of 31 candidates out; Vinesh Phogat to contest from Julana". The Indian Express. 6 September 2024. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "At Shambhu, Vinesh Phogat takes up the cudgels on behalf of farmers". The Hindu. 1 September 2024. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  6. ^ a b c "Vinesh Phogat joins farmers' stir at Shambhu border". India Today. 1 September 2024. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  7. ^ "Kin celebrate Haryana wrestlers' fete at Glasgow". Hindustan Times. 30 July 2014. Archived from the original on 21 February 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  8. ^ "Asian Games 2018: Who is Vinesh Phogat?". The Indian Express. 20 August 2018. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  9. ^ "Vinesh wins gold, with help from his cousin". The Indian Express. 30 July 2014. Archived from the original on 9 September 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  10. ^ "The Powerhouse Phogat Siblings and their Cousin - Deeta, Babita and Vinesh". Femina. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  11. ^ "Meet Mahavir Singh Phogat the fascinating wrestler who inspired". Huffington Post. 21 October 2016. Archived from the original on 8 July 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  12. ^ "I Am A Girl, I Am A Wrestler". Tadpoles. 24 July 2014. Archived from the original on 23 November 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  13. ^ "How Vinesh Phogat has fought with adversities and family tragedies since childhood". The Times of India. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  14. ^ "Pre-wedding festivities begin at Vinesh's village". The Tribune. Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  15. ^ "Vinesh Phogat to marry wrestler Somvir Rathee on December 13". The Hindustan Times. 4 December 2018. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  16. ^ "Vinesh Phogat wedding today with wrestler Somveer". Dainik Bhaskar (in Hindi). 14 December 2018. Archived from the original on 13 December 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  17. ^ "International Wrestling Database". www.iat.uni-leipzig.de. Archived from the original on 25 February 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  18. ^ Results Book (PDF). United World Wrestling (Report). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  19. ^ "International Wrestling Database". www.iat.uni-leipzig.de. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  20. ^ "Glasgow 2014 - Vinesh Profile". g2014results.thecgf.com. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  21. ^ "Women's Freestyle 48 kg Final". glasgow2014.com. 30 July 2014. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  22. ^ "Wrestler Vinesh Phogat wins18th bronze for India in Asian Games 2014". india.com. 27 September 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  23. ^ "Athletes_Profile | Biographies | Sports". www.incheon2014ag.org. Archived from the original on 4 October 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  24. ^ "International Wrestling Database". www.iat.uni-leipzig.de. Archived from the original on 15 February 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  25. ^ "After Vinesh Phogat, another overweight wrestler disqualified". The Indian Express. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2024. Vinesh (women's 48kg) was disqualified from the event for being overweight. However, Vinesh was let off with a warning
  26. ^ "Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik grab Rio Olympics berths". The Hindustan Times. 7 May 2016. Archived from the original on 19 August 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2016. Vinesh made amends for the disappointment of getting disqualified at the previous qualifying event in Mongolia...
  27. ^ "Wrestling: Women's Freestyle 48kg Standings". Rio 2016. Archived from the original on 22 September 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  28. ^ "Tokyo 2020: Vinesh Phogat buries ghosts of Rio Games, star wrestler geared up for 2nd Olympics appearance". India Today. 18 July 2021. Archived from the original on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  29. ^ "Wrestling at the 2018 Commonwealth Games". Gold Coast 2018. Archived from the original on 31 March 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  30. ^ "Commonwealth Games 2018 Wrestling: Vinesh Phogat, Sumit Malik win gold, Sakshi, Somveer get bronze". The Hindustan Times. 14 April 2018. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  31. ^ "Vinesh Becomes First Indian Woman Wrestler To Win Gold In The Asian Games". Headlines Today. Archived from the original on 20 August 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  32. ^ "Mental toughness helped me handle weight transition: Vinesh Phogat". Olympic Channel. 15 April 2020. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  33. ^ "Vinesh Phogat 1st Indian woman wrestler to win Asian Games gold medal". India Today. 20 August 2018. Archived from the original on 11 April 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  34. ^ "Indian women bag 4 bronze medals at the Asian championships". The Times of India. 26 April 2019. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  35. ^ "Gold for Vinesh Phogat at Yasar Dogu International". The Times of India. 15 July 2019. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  36. ^ "World Championships 2019". United World Wrestling. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  37. ^ a b "Why Vinesh Phogat's disqualification isn't the first Olympics setback for the ace Indian wrestler". The Economic Times. 7 August 2024. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  38. ^ "Vinesh Phogat starts 2020 on a high, wins gold at Rome Ranking Series event". The Hindustan Times. 18 January 2020. Archived from the original on 18 January 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  39. ^ "Vinesh Phogat beats Vanesa Kaladzinskaya to win gold in Ukraine wrestling event". India Today. 28 February 2021. Archived from the original on 28 February 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  40. ^ "Vinesh Phogat wins gold, reclaims number one rank; Bajrang Punia reaches final". India Today. 7 March 2021. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  41. ^ "Vinesh Phogat wins gold at Poland Open". Olympics.com. 11 June 2021. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  42. ^ "Vinesh Phogat wins gold at Poland Open". NDTV. Archived from the original on 12 June 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  43. ^ "2021 Poland Open Results Book" (PDF). United World Wrestling. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 July 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  44. ^ "Wrestling Results Book" (PDF). Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  45. ^ "WFI suspends star wrestler Vinesh Phogat over indiscipline after Tokyo Olympics campaign". India Today. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  46. ^ "Vinesh Phogat sends apology to WFI, may still not be allowed to compete at Worlds". Sportstar. 14 August 2021. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  47. ^ "WFI has its way, sports NGO JSW agrees on tripartite contracts with wrestlers". The Times of India. 12 November 2021. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  48. ^ Berkeley, Geoff (6 August 2022). "Phogat completes Commonwealth Games hat-trick with another wrestling gold". InsideTheGames.biz. Archived from the original on 7 August 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  49. ^ "Wrestling Competition Summary" (PDF). 2022 Commonwealth Games. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 August 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  50. ^ Burke, Patrick (14 September 2022). "Susaki and Morikawa earn Japanese double at World Wrestling Championships". InsideTheGames. Archived from the original on 15 September 2022. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  51. ^ "Commonwealth Games 2022 wrestling: Vinesh Phogat completes a hat-trick of CWG gold medals". Olympics.com. 6 August 2022. Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  52. ^ "2022 World Wrestling Championships Results Book" (PDF). United World Wrestling. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 September 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  53. ^ "How Vinesh Phogat wrestled with her 50 kg weight challenge". The Economic Times. 8 August 2024. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  54. ^ "Wrestler Vinesh Phogat Qualifies for Paris Olympics in 50-kg Category". The Wire. 21 April 2024. Archived from the original on 1 July 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  55. ^ "Paris Olympics: Vinesh Phogat upsets defending Olympic champion Yui Susaki in wrestling opener". The Indian Express. 6 August 2024. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  56. ^ "Vinesh Phogat faces Yui Susaki, wrestler who won gold in Tokyo without losing a single point, in Paris Olympics opener". The Hindustan Times. 6 August 2024. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  57. ^ "Olympics: Vinesh Phogat stuns Tokyo Gold medalist to reach wrestling quarters". India Today. 6 August 2024. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  58. ^ "Wrestling – Women's Freestyle 50kg 1/8 Final Match 61, Results". Paris 2024. 6 August 2024. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  59. ^ "Paris Olympics 2024: Vinesh Phogat enters final, becomes first Indian woman wrestler to do". DNA India. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  60. ^ Sarangi, Y. B. (6 August 2024). "Paris Olympics 2024: Vinesh Phogat enters final in 50kg freestyle wrestling". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  61. ^ "Explained: Why was Vinesh Phogat disqualified from Paris Olympics? How does wrestling weigh-in work?". ESPN. 7 August 2024. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  62. ^ "Wrestler Vinesh Phogat Out Of Paris Olympics Over Weight, India Files Appeal". NDTV. 7 August 2024. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  63. ^ "Vinesh Phogat misses Olympic gold shot, disqualified for being 100 gms overweight". India Today. 7 August 2024. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  64. ^ Ramakrishnan, Vineet (6 August 2024). "The Three Indian Wrestlers to Have Reached an Olympic Final". News 18. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  65. ^ Valecha, Muskaan (8 August 2024). "Vinesh Phogat Bids Adieu to Wrestling". The Reelstars. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  66. ^ "Vinesh Phogat announces retirement from wrestling day after Olympic disqualification". The Hindu. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  67. ^ "Don't have strength for more: Vinesh Phogat announces retirement a day after Olympics disqualification". Deccan Herald. 8 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  68. ^ "Vinesh Phogat CAS Hearing Verdict Highlights: Vinesh's petition dismissed by CAS with one-line judgement". Indian Express. 15 August 2024. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  69. ^ a b "As Vinesh gets gold medal from Sarvkhap in Rohtak, politics continues around possibilities of her contesting polls". Indian Express. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024. This is the first time that Sarvkhap panchayat honoured any sportsperson with a gold medal.
  70. ^ "Vinesh Phogat Gets Gold Medal Honour By Haryana Khap, Says "Fight Has Just Begun" | Olympics News". NDTVSports.com. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  71. ^ "Why getting Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia on board is a major win for Congress". Indian Express. 4 September 2024. Retrieved 6 September 2024. The two wrestlers, who joined the party at the Congress headquarters, are from the Jat community
  72. ^ a b "Election Commission of India". 8 November 2024.
  73. ^ "Indian Olympic wrestlers detained as latest protest escalates". BBC News. 25 May 2023. Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  74. ^ "Vinesh Phogat accuses WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan of sexual harassment; wrestlers protest at Jantar Mantar". The Hindu. 18 January 2023. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 28 April 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  75. ^ "After No Govt Action, Wrestlers to Lodge FIRs Against WFI Chief Over Alleged Sexual Harassment". The Wire. Archived from the original on 24 April 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  76. ^ Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (7 May 2023). "India's female wrestlers threaten to hand back Olympic medals in harassment row". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 8 May 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  77. ^ "Vinesh Phogat: India wrestler says she told PM Modi about harassment". 4 May 2023. Archived from the original on 17 January 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  78. ^ a b "IOA's ad-hoc committee takes charge of Wrestling Federation of India". The Times of India. 4 May 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  79. ^ "'Grossly Wrong': Opposition Slams Delhi Police for 'Shamefully Manhandling' Protesting Wrestlers". News18. 28 May 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  80. ^ "Indian wrestling federation suspended after harassment scandal". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  81. ^ Ganesan, Uthra (21 December 2023). "Sanjay Singh becomes new president as Brij Bhushan loyalists sweep the polls". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  82. ^ "Vinesh Phogat on Sanjay Singh's WFI chief elections win: 'This is Brij Bhushan's right-hand man, khud ke bete se bhi zyada khaas!'". The Indian Express. 21 December 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  83. ^ Vedika Sud, Rhea Mogul, Sania Farooqui (3 May 2023). "India's top female wrestlers are camping on the streets of New Delhi. Here's why". CNN. Archived from the original on 12 May 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  84. ^ "Sanjay Singh, Brij Bhushan's close aide, gets control of Wrestling Federation of India as ad-hoc committee dissolved". The Indian Express. 18 March 2024. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  85. ^ "Delhi HC seeks IOA stand on reconstitution of ad-hoc committee for WFI". The Week. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  86. ^ "Delhi High Court restores IOA ad hoc panel for Wrestling Federation of India". The Hindu. 16 August 2024. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  87. ^ Classification, Women's freestyle 50 kg (PDF). Paris 2024 (Report). 7 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  88. ^ "After Winning The Arjuna Award, Wrestler Vinesh Phogat Promises Nothing Less Than Gold In Tokyo 2020". India Times. September 2016. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  89. ^ "Padma Shri proposed for Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat". The Times of India. 3 October 2018. Archived from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  90. ^ "Vinesh Phogat Becomes First Indian Athlete to be Nominated for Laureus World Sports Awards". News18. 17 January 2019. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  91. ^ "Rohit Sharma to Vinesh Phogat: Meet the five Khel Ratna recipients of 2020". 23 August 2020. Archived from the original on 23 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  92. ^ "Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik nominated for BBC ISWOTY Award". The Hindu. PTI. 7 February 2023. Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  93. ^ Election Commission of India (8 October 2024). "Haryana Assembly Election Results 2024 - Julana". Retrieved 31 October 2024.