Meenakshi Goyat Upsets Vinesh Phogat in Asian Games Wrestling Trials
Meenakshi Goyat's Stunning Victory
In a surprising turn of events, wrestler Vinesh Phogat's aspirations to compete internationally were thwarted by her own constituency member, Meenakshi Goyat, who triumphed over her in the semifinals of the Asian Games trials. Meenakshi, representing Chabri village within the Julana Assembly segment, faced off against Vinesh, who serves as the Congress MLA for the same area.
Despite the setback, all six female wrestlers chosen for the Asian Games from various weight classes hail from Haryana.
Vinesh, who has faced numerous challenges and entered the trials following directives from the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), began her journey strongly by winning two matches to reach the semifinals. However, she was defeated by Meenakshi with a score of 4-6. Meenakshi subsequently lost to Antim Panghal in the finals; Antim is from Bhagana village in Hisar district.
Currently residing in Sonipat, Meenakshi's roots are in Chabri village, where her family owns agricultural land. Former village sarpanch Krishan Goyat expressed pride in Meenakshi's achievement, highlighting her victory over the local MLA.
Krishan remarked, "She is a rising star from a humble farming background. Her father, Prem Singh, is a farmer who often visits the village, and they are registered voters in the Julana Assembly segment." He also mentioned that the villagers celebrated Meenakshi's recent silver medal win at the Senior Asian Wrestling Championship in Kyrgyzstan.
Although Meenakshi fell short against Antim in the finals, Antim has secured her place to represent India at the Asian Games.
Antim's father, Ram Niwas, noted that she was well-prepared for the trials, stating, "We anticipated a match with Vinesh, but she lost in the semifinals." He expressed confidence in Antim's form and hopes for her success at the Asian Games, especially after her bronze medal win in Hangzhou.
Alongside Antim (53 kg), the other wrestlers selected include Dipanshee (50 kg), Manisha Bhanwala (57 kg), Mansi Ahlawat (62 kg), Nisha Dahiya (68 kg), and Priya Malik (76 kg).
Wrestling historian Tejpal Dalal commented on Vinesh's performance, acknowledging her need for improvement, a sentiment Vinesh herself echoed after her defeat to Meenakshi.
"I hope she returns stronger," Dalal added, noting the continued dominance of Haryana wrestlers in women's wrestling, as all six selected athletes are from the state, with many trial participants also hailing from Haryana.