Teenager Dipanshi Hopes To Shine On Asian Games Debut

New Delhi: The just-ended women’s Asian Games wrestling trials here was fiercely focussed on the comeback of Vinesh Phogat, the double world championships medallist losing her third bout of the day in 53kg and then alleging unfair treatment by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).

Amid the high drama through most of the one-day competition, another wrestler with the famous surname went under the radar. Dipanshi Phogat is only 17, and she aced the competitive 50kg bracket to seal her selection — a division where WFI initially wanted Vinesh to enter before agreeing for her competing in the higher class.

Ask Dipanshi if there is more to her famous surname and the teenager says, “Ji mera koi lena dena nai hai unse. (I have nothing to do with them). We are not related in any way.”

Her wrestling though has done a lot of the talking. It was Dipanshi’s senior debut, but watching the commotion from the sidelines, the youngster never let her focus waver.

“There was a lot going on that day, but I chose to focus only on my wrestling and my opponents. A moment’s distraction can cost you the bout,” she says.

“It feels great to make it to the Asian Games team. I was confident going into the trials but wasn’t thinking too much about the results. Once the competition began, I took it one bout at a time.”

A resident athlete at Rohtak’s Sir Chhotu Ram Stadium, she hails from Rithal village in Haryana’s Rohtak district. Unlike most young wrestlers who take up the sport after someone in the family, Dipanshi comes from a non-sporting background. Her father, Surender Phogat, is a farmer while her mother, Meenu, is a homemaker.

“I didn’t look up to any wrestler or sportsperson growing up. Yes, wrestling, kabaddi and boxing are part of our culture but somehow my family was never into sports. I’m told my mother played kabaddi in her youth, but my parents never asked me to try sports,” she says.

Dipanshi developed an early interest in boxing, and the then 10-year-old went to Chhotu Ram Stadium in her hometown to hone her skills. Soon enough, she found her calling elsewhere. “In a matter of months, I realised boxing wasn’t for me. I found myself drawn to wrestling. I would watch a lot of girls train and wanted to give it a shot. It appeared more fun,” she says.

At the Chhotu Ram Stadium, coach Mandeep Singh took Dipanshi under his wings. His biggest achievement to date is coaching Sakshi Malik to a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He is also credited with producing a supply line of promising wrestlers. His trainees Manisha Bhanwala (57kg) and Mansi Ahlawat (62kg) also made it to the Asiad team at the trials.

Mandeep recalls: “I remember Dipanshi as a tiny kid who wanted to wrestle. She had great spirit and willingness to learn.” The medals came soon after. Dipanshi won the U-15 Asian Championships gold in 2022 (39kg) and 2023 (42kg). The next year, she won the U-17 Asian title (46kg) before a lower back injury sidelined her for a few months in 2025. She marked her comeback in April by winning the U-20 Nationals in Chhatisgarh (50kg).

“She has had a decent junior run but she is still a work in progress. Although I want her to win gold at the Asian Games, the competition there won’t be easy,” the coach says.

Mandeep is realistic in his assessment. Despite India’s rich talent, the country’s wrestlers have traditionally been subdued at the Asian Games. With 65 medals across seven editions – women’s wrestling came into the Games only in 2002 – India are 11th on an all-time table dominated by Iran (155), Japan (176) and South Korea (146). Iran tops the charts on more gold medals.

The 50kg was introduced at the Asian Games in 2018, replacing 48kg, which was the lightest division from 2002-14. Vinesh is the only Indian to win medals in both categories – 48kg bronze in 2014 and 50kg gold in 2018.

Dipanshi doesn’t let statistics clutter her mind. “Once on the mat, only the technique and training matters,” she says. The teenager has already inspired her younger siblings to take up wrestling. Her 15-year-old sister, Vinakshi, won silver at the U-15 Asian Championships in 2024 while brother Prince, 13, is a national U-15 silver medallist.

“I never looked up to anyone. I hope my siblings look up to me,” she laughs.

Shantanu Srivastava is an experienced sports journalist who has worked across print and digital media. He covers cricket and Olympic sports.