Success is not easy, one needs to earn it with consistent hard work, struggle, passion and dedication. Despite of mass criticism and hate, Vinesh Phogat continued to practise to make her dream come true.
Vinesh Phogat, the first Indian women to win gold medal at Asian Games and qualify for Rio Olympics, holder of Arjun award and two times commonwealth gold medalist.
Vinesh hails from small village called Balali in Haryana. She lost her father at the age of nine. After death of her father, her uncle Mahavir Singh Phogat, father of her cousin star wrestlers Geeta and Babita Phogat played role of her father as well as coach.
She started her training at very tender age of seven. Initially she didn’t wanted to Pursue wrestling as her career, because of villagers attitude towards it. But when she started it, she gave her all efforts to do it the best way she could. She gave up all the little distractions a girl child wishes to enjoy. She got her hairs cut short and dressed up like boys. Her friends made fun of her boyish look but she ignored all these things and focused on just one thing and that is wrestling.
Vinesh along with her uncle and cousin sisters had to face a lot of criticism and opposition from villagers, because wrestling was not ethically acceptable for girls in Haryana. They continued to practice under immense pressure of villagers and relatives. Under supervision of Mahavir Singh Phogat, Vinesh and her sisters used to practise more with male wrestlers and it raised a question mark on their values. They were bullied in school, street and everywhere in village for playing wrestling with boys, as girls in their village were only allowed to talk with their husband, brother or father. And Phogat sisters were breaking every boundation imposed by society, which came in the way of their success.
All these hardships and hatred didn’t stop this star player and she soon gave result with her first medal in Asian Wrestling Championship 2013. She won bronze medal in freestyle 52kg women wrestling. In the same year, she again won silver medal in commonwealth Games in women’s freestyle 51kg category.
In 2014, Vinesh tasted her first golden triumph in Commonwealth Games in 48 kg freestyle category. She won bronze in Asian games in 48 kg category in the same year.
Vinesh Phogat continued to work hard and again won silver medal in Asian games, 2015.
In 2016, She qualified for Rio Olympics and reached quarter final. But she lost her chance to win owing to knee injury. This injury put a question mark on her wrestling career and devastated her mentally, but she came back stronger after a break.
She received Arjun Award for her brilliant performance in 2016.
The wrestler won silver medal in Asian Championship 2017.
In 2018, Phogat bagged gold medal in 50 kg freestyle wrestling, Commonwealth Games in Golf Coast.
Vinesh won gold medal in Asian Championship, 2018 and became first Indian women wrestler to win gold in Asian Games.
She is the first Indian athelete who got nominated for Laureus World Sports Awards.
She was also nominated for Padma Shri by Sports Authority of India.
Her journey wasn’t easy at all, despite of her knee and elbow injury she continued to work for her dream. She gracefullly handled pressure of being Phogat sister and high expectations of everyone around her with her sweat & determination.
Source – Internet
What an inspiration she is!!!