Vinesh Phogat, born 25 August 1994 in Balali village, Charkhi Dadri district, Haryana, is a member of the legendary Phogat wrestling family — the basis of the Bollywood film Dangal (2016). She is a 3× Commonwealth Games gold medallist, multiple Asian Games and Asian Championships medallist, and was at the centre of one of the most-discussed events of the Paris 2024 Olympics when she was disqualified before her 50 kg gold-medal match for being 100 grams over the weight limit.
Her Family: The Phogat Wrestling Dynasty
The Phogat family is widely regarded as India's most influential single wrestling family.
Her Parents
Father: Rajpal Singh Phogat (died 2003 of cancer when Vinesh was 9).
Mother: Premlata Phogat.
Her Uncle and Cousins: The Dangal Family
Vinesh's paternal uncle Mahavir Singh Phogat, born 1957 — Arjuna Award-winning former wrestler, the subject of Dangal (played by Aamir Khan). He trained his daughters (and his niece Vinesh) in defiance of village traditions against women wrestling.
His daughters (Vinesh's cousins, all major wrestlers):
Geeta Phogat, born 15 December 1988 — first Indian female wrestler to qualify for the Olympics (London 2012); Commonwealth Games gold 2010.
Babita Phogat, born 20 November 1989 — Commonwealth Games gold 2014; current Haryana BJP politician.
Ritu Phogat, born 1994 — wrestler turned MMA fighter.
Sangita Phogat, born 1998 — wrestler.
Her Husband: Somvir Rathee
Somvir Rathee — fellow Indian wrestler; married Vinesh on 13 December 2018.
The Phogat Family Tree at a Glance
Father: Rajpal Singh Phogat (died 2003).
Mother: Premlata Phogat.
Uncle: Mahavir Singh Phogat — Arjuna Award wrestler; subject of Dangal.
Cousins (Mahavir's daughters): Geeta (b. 1988), Babita (b. 1989), Ritu (b. 1994), Sangita (b. 1998).
Husband: Somvir Rathee — wrestler; married 13 December 2018.
Vinesh Phogat:
- Born 25 August 1994, Balali, Haryana
- Commonwealth Games gold 2014, 2018, 2022 (3×)
- Asian Games gold 2018
- World Wrestling Championships bronze 2019, 2022
- Paris Olympics 2024 — reached the final at 50 kg; disqualified before final due to 100g overweight
- Retired from wrestling, August 2024
- MLA for Julana in the Haryana Assembly (Congress, since October 2024)
- Padma Shri (2020); Khel Ratna (2024)
What the Phogat Family Story Teaches Us
An uncle who defied his village by training his daughters in wrestling. Six women in one extended family all wrestling at international level. A cousin (Vinesh) who lost her own father to cancer at 9 and was effectively raised by that same uncle. A modern Indian sports story so unusual it inspired a major Bollywood film.
For every family — large or small, famous or otherwise — the Phogat story carries the same lesson. Sometimes an uncle becomes a father in every meaningful way. Write down the relatives who stepped in when the original parents were not there. The tree records who actually raised whom.
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