Vinesh Phogat Quick Facts
| Full Name | Vinesh Phogat |
| Profession | Wrestler, MLA (Julana, Haryana) |
| Date of Birth | August 1994 |
| Birthplace | Haryana, India |
| Discipline | Women’s freestyle wrestling |
| Weight Categories | 48 kg, 50 kg, 53 kg |
| Political Party | Indian National Congress |
| Active Years | 2013 to 2024; returned in 2026 |
| Spouse | Somvir Rathee |
| Nationality | Indian |
Why Vinesh Phogat Matters
Vinesh Phogat’s significance goes beyond her medal count. She has been one of India’s most consistent women wrestlers for a decade, winning major titles in three different weight classes, and her run to the Paris 2024 final, which included a win over reigning Olympic champion Yui Susaki of Japan, was among the standout Indian performances of those Games. She was also a leading face of the 2023 wrestlers’ protest against the federation’s leadership, and her move into electoral politics a year later made her one of the few active-era Indian athletes to win a state assembly seat. Her attempted comeback as a mother and sitting legislator has raised fresh questions about how Indian sport handles maternity, eligibility and athlete disputes.
Vinesh Phogat Major Results
| Year | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Commonwealth Games, Glasgow | Gold (48 kg) |
| 2014 | Asian Games, Incheon | Bronze (48 kg) |
| 2018 | Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast | Gold (50 kg) |
| 2018 | Asian Games, Jakarta | Gold (50 kg) |
| 2019 | World Championships, Nur-Sultan | Bronze (53 kg) |
| 2022 | Commonwealth Games, Birmingham | Gold (53 kg) |
| 2022 | World Championships, Belgrade | Bronze (53 kg) |
| 2024 | Olympic Games, Paris | Reached 50 kg final; disqualified before the gold-medal bout |
At the Asian Championships she won silver medals in 2015, 2017 and 2018 and bronze medals in 2016 and 2020, along with a gold medal in 2021.
Early Life and Family
Vinesh comes from the Phogat wrestling family of Haryana’s Charkhi Dadri area. After losing her father at a young age, she trained with her uncle Mahavir Singh Phogat, the coach who also guided her cousins Geeta and Babita Phogat to international success. Growing up in a family that had already broken social barriers around girls in wrestling gave her early access to structured training and a clear pathway into the national system.
Breakthrough: Commonwealth Gold in Glasgow
Vinesh announced herself on the senior stage in 2014, winning 48 kg gold at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and following it with a bronze at the Incheon Asian Games a few weeks later. Those results made her a regular in India’s senior squad and set up her first Olympic campaign at Rio 2016, where a serious knee injury in the quarter-final ended her challenge.
Vinesh Phogat Career Journey
She recovered from the Rio injury to win Commonwealth and Asian Games gold in 2018, becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to win an Asian Games title. A move up to 53 kg brought World Championship bronze medals in 2019 and 2022 and a third Commonwealth gold in Birmingham. After a quarter-final exit at Tokyo 2020, she dropped back to 50 kg for Paris 2024, where she beat Yui Susaki, Oksana Livach and Yusneylys Guzman to reach the final. On the morning of the final on 7 August 2024 she was found to be 100 grams over the limit and was disqualified. The Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed her appeal for a shared silver on 14 August 2024. She announced her retirement on 8 August 2024.
Weeks later she joined the Congress and won the Julana seat in the October 2024 Haryana Assembly election, defeating the BJP’s Yogesh Kumar (Bairagi) by 6,015 votes.
Vinesh Phogat Records and Milestones
- First Indian woman wrestler to win an Asian Games gold medal (2018)
- Commonwealth Games gold in three consecutive editions (2014, 2018, 2022) in three weight classes
- First Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final (Paris 2024)
- Two World Championship bronze medals (2019, 2022)
- First Indian athlete nominated for a Laureus World Sports Award (2019)
Vinesh Phogat Awards and Honours
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2016 | Arjuna Award |
| 2019 | Laureus World Sports Award nomination (Comeback of the Year) |
| 2020 | Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna |
In December 2023, during the wrestlers’ protest, she announced she was returning her Arjuna and Khel Ratna awards.
Vinesh Phogat Wrestling Style
Vinesh is an aggressive, high-pressure wrestler who likes to control the centre of the mat and wear opponents down with constant hand-fighting. Her leg attacks are quick, and she is particularly dangerous in scrambles, where her flexibility lets her turn defensive positions into points. Her late takedown against Susaki in Paris showed her willingness to keep attacking when trailing. The recurring challenge has been weight management, since she has moved between 48 kg, 50 kg and 53 kg, and the Paris episode showed how fine the margins are when cutting to a lower class.
Current Form (2025-26) and Outlook
Vinesh gave birth to a son in July 2025 and announced on 12 December 2025 that she was reversing her retirement and targeting LA 2028. Her return has been dominated by a dispute with the Wrestling Federation of India. In May 2026 the federation issued a show-cause notice citing the notice period required of returning wrestlers under anti-doping rules, alleged whereabouts failures and other issues, and declared her ineligible for domestic events until 26 June. A second notice followed on 17 June. Vinesh has said the International Testing Agency cleared her to compete from 1 January 2026.
After court intervention she contested the Asian Games selection trials in New Delhi on 30 May 2026 at 53 kg. She won her first two bouts but lost 4-6 to Meenakshi Goyat in the semi-final, and Antim Panghal took the spot. In September 2026 the Delhi High Court declined interim relief that would have let her enter the World Championship trials, holding that the federation’s eligibility circular applied to all athletes while its legality was examined. Her main petition, which argues the criteria leave no route for wrestlers returning from maternity, is listed for 18 November 2026. She continues to serve as Julana MLA.
Vinesh Phogat Net Worth and Brand Value
There is no reliable published estimate of Vinesh Phogat’s total net worth. The figures below come from her election affidavit and media reports and are indicative rather than official.
| Estimated Net Worth | Not reliably estimated; her September 2024 election affidavit, as reported by News24, listed a Sonipat plot valued at about ₹2 crore and three cars worth roughly ₹64 lakh among her assets |
| Brand Value | About ₹25 lakh per endorsement before Paris 2024, rising to a reported ₹75 lakh to ₹1 crore per brand afterwards, per The Economic Times as cited by ETV Bharat (August 2024) |
| Key Brand Endorsements | No current brand deals publicly confirmed for 2025-26 |
| Main Income Sources | MLA salary and allowances, a ₹4 crore Haryana government cash award (opted for in April 2025), endorsements, and past prize money |
Personal Life
Vinesh married fellow wrestler Somvir Rathee in December 2018. The couple’s son was born in July 2025, and she has described him as a motivation for her comeback. She divides her time between legislative work in Haryana and training.
Frequently Asked Questions About Vinesh Phogat
Why was Vinesh Phogat disqualified at Paris 2024?
She weighed 100 grams over the 50 kg limit on the morning of the final on 7 August 2024. CAS rejected her appeal for a joint silver medal.
Has Vinesh Phogat come out of retirement?
Yes. She announced her comeback in December 2025 and competed at the Asian Games trials in May 2026, losing in the semi-final. Her eligibility for later trials is the subject of a court case.
Is Vinesh Phogat an MLA?
Yes. She won the Julana seat for the Congress in the October 2024 Haryana Assembly election.
What is Vinesh Phogat’s net worth?
No credible total estimate has been published. Her 2024 election affidavit, as reported by News24, listed a plot worth about ₹2 crore and vehicles worth roughly ₹64 lakh, and she later opted for a ₹4 crore cash award from the Haryana government.
