Tokyo Olympics 2020, the target is fixed for Indian grappler Vinesh Phogat who is also steadily climbing up the ranking. Recently, UWW rankings were released and her strong grappling moves helped her achieve world number two spot in the chart. After she bagged bronze at the World Wrestling Championships, and assured herself of an Olympic berth, the champion now occupies the number two spot in the world ranking charts in the 53kg weight category. This was Vinesh’s first world championship medal and this is also the first time she gains the status of world number two.
Key Takeaways:
- The star wrestler from the famous Phogat family, Vinesh Phoghat is now the new world number two in the UWW rankings chart.
- Vinesh won bronze for India at the recently concluded Wrestling World Championships.
- This was Vinesh’s first world championship medal. Also, for the first time, she has occupied the number two spot in the world ranking charts in the 53kg weight category.
- Vinesh sealed India’s Tokyo Olympics quota place in women’s 53 kg event.
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Going to Tokyo Olympics 2020
With eyes fixed on the Tokyo Olympics, Vinesh has sealed an Olympic berth in her 53kg weight category at the World Wrestling Championships this month.
“It’s a relief because now I have a lot of time to prepare for the Olympics. And it’s a bronze only. I want to convert it to gold and also win the Olympic medal,” Vinesh Phogat had earlier said
“I have won my quota for 53 kg for my country. I hope what I left incomplete in Rio, I will take in Tokyo. I am doing my best to win gold in Tokyo.”
In 2016, Vinesh (then aged 21) was one of the favourites to win a medal for India at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. But the youngest from a family of distinguished women wrestlers had met with a life-threatening knee injury which forced her tournament to an end in the quarterfinals. After rigorous training, she came back badass and knocked down opponents.
Also Read: Vinesh Phogat Story, the Girl next door to Olympics 2020
India’s gold medallist in the Asiad and Commonwealth Games has been competing in the 48 kg category since her senior international debut. But she has switched her weight category (from 50kg to 53kg) very recently, which was a very risky move but she came out winner in that too!
Vinesh is only the fifth Indian woman wrestler to win a Worlds medal after Alka Tomar (2006), Geeta Phogat (2012), Babita Phogat (2012) and Pooja Dhanda (2018).
“I never thought that I would recover and reach the Olympics again. I always keep thinking of getting another chance to win an Olympic medal. Even when I would get tired in training, thoughts of my Olympic dream kept me going."
Ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, which is nine months away, she expresses, “I never thought that I would recover and reach the Olympics again. I always keep thinking of getting another chance to win an Olympic medal. Even when I would get tired in training, thoughts of my Olympic dream kept me going. I used the frustration of the last Olympics to secure the quota and it was a big weight off my shoulder.”
Vinesh's cousin, another star wrestler from the family, Geeta Phogat had recently praised Vinesh for having grit and never-say-die attitude. “She is one of India's finest female wrestlers. She is very hardworking and dedicated to her game. She never gives up,” Geeta wrote.
READ: Navjot Kaur – First Indian Woman Wrestler To Clinch Asian Gold
Picture credit: Wrestlingtv/Facebook
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