Sports

ASIAN GAMES: VINESH Phogat Wins Gold Medal In 50KG Freestyle Wrestling

VINESH Phogat from Haryana has won gold medal, India’s fifth medal, at the ongoing 2018 Asian Games.  Vinesh Phogat beat Japan’s Yuki Irie in Women’s Freestyle 50 kg final on Monday. She is also the first female gold medal winner at the Asiad being held in Indonesia from August 18. Vinesh completely dominated the contest. Complimenting her State’s Sports Minister Anil Vij says Haryana Government will honour her with INR 3 Crore of cash award and a job of HCS/HPS. 23 years old Vinesh comes from a successful wrestling family comprising her cousins Geeta Phogat and Babita Kumari, both international wrestlers and Commonwealth Games medallists as well. She won Gold medal in Asian Games 2018.The daughter of wrestler Rajpal Singh Phogat, younger brother of  Mahavir  Singh Phogat , and the cousin of wrestlers Geeta Phogat and Babita Kumari. Both her cousins have won gold in 55kg category in Commonwealth Games. Mahavir Singh Phogat, an acclaimed wrestler and an Arjuna Award winner, started training his four daughters and his brother’s two daughters in wresting defying the dictate   of the male dominated society in his home state. They have not only kept carrying forward his legacy but also have made the nation proud. In allowing her cousins and herself to pursue competitive wrestling, her father and uncle had to fight immense pressure and opposition from their male dominated community in their village in Haryana. The community leaders were of the view  that training  of the  girls in wrestling  and  other games is against  morals and values of their community. Her cousin, Ritu Phogat  is an international level wrestler and has won a gold medal at the 2016 Commonwealth Wrestling Championship. Earlier, India’s shooter Lakshay won the silver medal by finishing second in the men’s trap final at the 2018 Asian Games. The 20-year-old got 43 points to finish second behind Chinese Taipei’s Kunpi Yang, who equalled the world record score of 48.

In order of the date of births of the six Phogat sisters are Geeta, Babita, Priyanka, Ritu, Vinesh and Sangita. While Geeta, Babita, Ritu and Sangita are daughters of former wrestler and Coach Mahavir Singh Phogat, Priyanka and Vinesh were brought up by Mahavir after their father, who is the brother of Mahavir, was killed in a land dispute. Mahavir trained all six of them in wrestling in their home village of Balali in Bhiwandi district. Three of the Phogat sisters Geeta, Babita and Vinesh are gold medallists in different weight categories at the Commonwealth Games. Priyanka has won a silver medal at the Asian Championships. Ritu is a National Championships gold medallist and Sangita has won medals at age-level international championships, as pr their Face Book posts.   it may  be recalled  that   Vinesh’s first international debut  was The 2013 Asian Wrestling Championships where she had finished with a bronze in the women’s freestyle 51 kg category through repechage.  She has participated in two Commonwealth Games – 2014 and 2018 and bagged gold medals in both the competitions – at Glasgow in 48 kg category and at Gold Coast in 50 kg category.

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