From Protests to Olympic Heartbreak: Vinesh Phogat's Remarkable Journey
When Vinesh Phogat stepped onto the mat at the Champ-de-Mars Arena this week, she wasn’t considered a top contender for the women’s 50kg freestyle wrestling final. Despite being one of India’s premier wrestlers, her path to the Paris Olympics was fraught with challenges and adversity.
Phogat’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. She has not only fought on the wrestling mat but also on the streets, leading protests for months to demand legal action against India’s wrestling federation chief over sexual harassment allegations. Her resilience extended beyond her activism to defy traditional gender norms by pursuing a sport long deemed unsuitable for women.
Hailing from Haryana, a conservative northern state notorious for its gender imbalance—recorded at 879 women per 1,000 men in the 2011 census, well below the national average of 943—Vinesh and her cousins, Geeta and Babita Phogat, broke through significant societal barriers that restricted women’s roles.
Her uncle, Mahavir Singh Phogat, an amateur wrestler and coach, played a crucial role in her development, just as he did with his daughters. His coaching was famously depicted in the Bollywood film Dangal, which celebrated the Phogat family’s achievements. Vinesh began wrestling as her cousin Geeta was gaining national prominence, eventually accumulating an impressive list of accolades, including three Commonwealth golds, two World Championships bronze medals, an Asian Games gold, and the title of Asian champion in 2021.
