India bags a hefty amount of medals in wrestling, including gold, silver, and bronze, in the Commonwealth Games Birmingham 2022.
A multisport event called the Commonwealth games is held every five years. In the game, the finest players from various nations must compete against one another under the same shade. This time the XXII Commonwealth games are held in Birmingham, Britain.
India is bagging several wins in the Commonwealth Games by showing their best. With 26 Medals in hand, India has survived almost every sport excellently.
Currently, India accounted for bagging a hefty amount of medals back-to-back in wrestling in the event.
Here is a quick synopsis of wrestling legends involved in the CWG 2022 triumph –
● Bajrang Punia
From the hometown of Churmas and Rabri, Bajrang Punia was born in the Khudan village of Jhajjar district, Harayana. Punia, from the age of seven, had a keen interest in wrestling, inspired by his father.
He started his career through admissions in a local mud wrestling school and went further into Chattarsal stadium in 2008, training under Ramphal Mann.
In 2015, he enrolled at a regional Center of the Sports Authority of India by moving to Sonepat and progressed in his career. Further, Bajarang participated in numerous prominent sports events like the Olympics and World Wrestling Championships.
He has received government and national recognitions, like Arjuna Award in 2015, Padma Shri Award in 2019, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2019, and the FICCI Indian Sports Award in 2020. Mr Bhagat works in the Indian railways and is married to one of the Phogat sisters, Sangita Phogat Punia, a fellow wrestler.
In the current Commonwealth games 2022, he won in the 65-kg wrestling category final against Lachlan McNeil of Canada. Through this win, Mr Punia continued his success with the Gold Medals since the gold in the 2018 CWG wrestling.
● Sakshi Malik
A native of Haryana, Sakshi Malik was born in Mokhra Village, Rohtak district. Malik was born in a middle-class family, where her father was a bus conductor, and her mother was a supervisor at a local health clinic.
Sakshi started her career training under Ishwar Dahiya at 12 in Rohtak. She has been a successful professional wrestler throughout her career by winning in several sports events like the Asian Championships and Pro Wrestling League, representing India.
She currently works in the Indian railways, married to the Indian Freestyle Wrestler Satyawart Kadian.
Sakshi performed fabulously against Ana Godinez of Canada and won Gold in the freestyle 62 kg wrestling category at CWG 2022.
● Deepak Punia
A Military Personal, Naib Subedar Deepak Punia, was born in Jhajjar District Haryana. Deepak is a freestyle wrestler coming under the 86 kg category.
He works as a Junior Commissioned Officer in the Indian Army. His victory includes events like World Wrestling Championship and the Summer Olympics.
Ageing 23 in 2022, Punia defeated Muhammed Inam of Pakistan in CWG 2022, winning Gold in the 86kg men’s wrestling category.
● Vinesh Phogat
Vinesh Phogat, one of the Phogat sisters, is the first Indian woman wrestler to win gold in both the Commonwealth and Asian Games. She has the first Indian athlete nomination for the Laureus World Sports Awards in 2019.
Nourishing in the families of famous wrestlers, she is the daughter of Rajpal Phogat and Neice of Mahabir Singh Phogat. She is married to the fellow wrestler Somvir Rathee and employed in the Indian railways. Her absence from sports events for a long-time was because of a ligament tear in her Knee during Rio Olympics.
In the Commonwealth Games 2022, Birmingham, Mr Phogat defeated Samantha Stewart of Canada, bagging Gold in the category of woman 53kg wrestling category.
● Anshu Malik
Anshu Malik was raised by a family of wrestlers and was born in Nidani, in the Jind district of Haryana. She began her wrestling career in Haryana at the Chaudhary Bharat Singh Memorial Sports School in Nidani under Coach Jagdeesh. Mrs Malik‘s father, Dharamvir Malik, has also been an international wrestler employed under the CISF.
She has wrestled in several events like Asian Championship, World Championship, and World Junior Wrestling Championship. Under the 57 kg women’s freestyle, Anshu Malik has won Silver Medal in the Commonwealth Games Birmingham, 2022.
● Divya Kakran
A native of Delhi, Divya Kakran hails from a middle-class family where she has studied Bachelor of Physical Education and Sports Sciences at Noida College of Physical Education. Her father is a Langot seller, whereas her mother is a helping hand in her father’s business.
She has won over 60 medals in numerous sports events, which include Asian Games and Commonwealth Championship.
In the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth games, Mrs Kakran won a Bronze medal in the 68kg category.
● Pooja Gehlot
Born in Delhi, Pooja Gehlot had showcased a keen interest in her passion since childhood. Her Uncle, Dharamveer Singh, a wrestler, motivated her to follow her passion by taking Pooja to Akahara at six.
She has also tried other sports like Volleyball, but her fate had already chosen Wrestling. Mrs Gehlot admires the Phogat sisters for the victory in the 2010 Commonwealth games.
Pooja has won many medals at events like the Asian Junior Championship and World Wrestling Championship.
After a two-year break from a shoulder injury, Pooja Gehlot won a Bronze in the 50-kg women’s freestyle category in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022.
● Mohit Grewal
Competing in the 125kg category, Mohit Grewal is an Indian freestyle wrestler. As cited on his Wikipedia page, Mohit had a win against Alexios Kaoslidis of Cyprus in the quarter-finals.
He went toward victory against Aron Johnson of Jamaica, resulting in a Bronze Medal in the 125kg Men freestyle category at the Birmingham Commonwealth games 2022
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