Vinesh Phogat received a grand welcome last week in her village, Balali, after returning from Paris. Interestingly, the youngster Neha Sangwan, also from the same village, stayed awake till midnight to celebrate the moment with her hero, Vinesh Phogat. After the celebrations, Vinesh, who missed out on an Olympic medal as she was disqualified at the last moment of the final, spoke about her wish to see more women wrestlers coming out of villages and small towns to make a name and identity for themselves.
Who knew what the future held, but Vinesh didn’t have to wait long, as 16-year-old Neha Sangwan from her village took center stage on Thursday evening and won the Under-17 world title in the 57 kg wrestling category with a thumping 10-0 victory over Japan’s So Tsutsui.
Similar Posts
In 2016, Amit Kumar Sangwan, Neha’s father, enrolled his daughter in a wrestling academy owned by coach Mahavir Phogat. Neha initially changed coaches frequently after finding success at the state level. However, it was at the Krishan Akhada, under the guidance of coach Sajan Singh Mandola, that Neha fixed her goal of winning a major international tournament and began training accordingly. After winning the final, Neha was ecstatic and stated that she was inspired by Vinesh Phogat. “It’s a huge thing for me, and this title is for Vinesh didi and all the women wrestlers. Vinesh didi remains an inspiration for us all, and this world title will inspire the women wrestlers back in Balali village as well as in India.”
Amit Kumar Sangwan, her father, also worked very hard and couldn’t believe what his daughter had achieved just after the success of Vinesh Phogat. Sangwan, who is also a former sarpanch of the village, said, “Neha had spent the whole afternoon getting the garland made for Vinesh’s welcome last week. When she had gone on stage, Vinesh told her that girls like her should complete her dream. To see Neha win her first world title would have made Vinesh happy too today. It’s a special feeling for the whole of Balali village too.” Interestingly, Neha’s grandmother, a former national-level wrestler, always supported Neha in becoming a successful wrestler.
