Famous Indian Wrestlers
Top 10 Famous Indian Wrestlers : One of the oldest sports in the world, wrestling also plays a significant role in India’s rich cultural heritage. Some of the greatest wrestlers in history came from India. Discover the names of India’s top 10 recognized wrestlers by reading on.
Famous Indian Wrestlers In India, wrestling is known as Kushti or Pehlwani and is a cherished sport that has produced numerous world-class athletes. Wrestling is a traditional sport that has been practiced for ages in many different forms all over the world. Wrestling was a popular sport among the ancient Greeks, Babylonians, and Egyptians, who even organized competitions.
Famous Indian Wrestlers The Indian Vedas, as well as the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, contain references to wrestling. It should come as no surprise that wrestling is one of India’s most prestigious sports. Many Indian wrestlers have represented their nation with distinction on the international stage. Due to their contributions to the country and high regard in society, wrestlers are growing in popularity. Here are the top 10 Indian wrestlers in terms of fame.
1. Sushil Kumar
Famous Indian Wrestlers Possibly the best and most contentious Indian wrestler of the modern era is Sushil Kumar. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, he brought India its first Olympic medal since 1952. Sushil Kumar is renowned for his fierce and highly technical wrestling abilities.
He outperformed the opposition even at the highest levels. Kumar was the first Indian to win a gold medal at the World Championships in 2010. Sushil Kumar was forced to accept the silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics after getting sick just before the competition. He was in hot water for sabotaging Narsingh Yadav’s career by entangle him in a doping scandal involving tainted supplements, which prevented him from qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
2. Geeta Phogat
One of India’s most well-known female wrestlers, Geeta Phogat started women’s wrestling in that nation. The father of Phogat and her sister Babita, Mahavir Singh Phogat, a former wrestler who saw great potential in the two, trained them. In most of the nation at the time, girls were not allowed to wrestle.
But Geeta overcame the social barriers with the help and encouragement of her family, becoming one of the best female wrestlers in Indian history. The Phogat family was even the subject of the Aamir Khan film Dangal. In wrestling at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, Geeta Phogat earned India its first gold medal.
3. Bajrang Punia
Known for his athleticism and quickness, Haryana-born Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia is a favorite among fans. Punia has endured numerous injuries throughout his career, but he always manages to bounce back stronger. The only wrestler from India to receive 4 medals at the World Championships is Bajrang Punia, who took home 1 silver and 3 bronze.
Additionally, he has won two gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and one gold medal at the Asian Games. Punia’s greatest accomplishment, though, might be the bronze medal he won at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Despite suffering a knee injury, Punia outscored Daulet Niyazbekov of Kazakhstan 8-0. Punia wants to compete for India once more in the 2024 Paris Olympics at the age of 28.
4. Yogeshwar Dutt
Another well-known wrestler from the Indian state of India is Yogeshwar Dutt. Dutt started his training at a young age and overcame many obstacles to win medals at the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, and Olympics. Many Indian wrestlers have found inspiration in Dutt, who also served as a mentor to athletes like Bajrang Punia and Ravi Kumar Dahiya. In 2019, Dutt affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
5. KD Jadhav
K. D. Jadhav won an individual medal at the Olympics for the first time for Independent India. Jadhav was renowned for his diminutive size and lightening-fast reflexes. In addition to coaching wrestling, he received a bronze medal at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.
6. Deepak Punia
Another promising young wrestler from India is Deepak Punia. He won silver medals at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the 2019 World Wrestling Championships in Nur-Sultan. Punia competes in the 86 kg weight division and is a Junior Commissioned Officer in the Indian Army.
7. Vinesh Phogat
The well-known Phogat family includes the Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat. Vinesh is a native of Haryana who was mentored by her uncle, Mahavir Singh Phogat, when she was a young girl. One of India’s most gifted female Famous Indian Wrestlers, Vinesh, excelled at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Her chances of winning a medal were dashed by an injury in the quarterfinals, but she made a stunning comeback two years later, taking home gold at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games in 2018 Famous Indian Wrestlers.
8. Ravi Kumar Dahiya
Famous Indian Wrestlers An Indian wrestler from Haryana named Ravi Kumar Dahiya shot to fame when he captured the silver medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. In the semifinal, Dahiya was down by an enormous 9 points but miraculously rallied, pinned his opponent in the final seconds of the match, and won by fall. Dahiya went down in history after losing the championship game on points. Dahiya, who is only 23 years old and has already won gold at the Asian and Commonwealth Games, has a bright future ahead of him Famous Indian Wrestlers.
9. Sakshi Malik
One of India’s most active female wrestlers is Sakshi Malik. By winning the bronze medal and becoming India’s first-ever medalist at an Olympics, she made Olympic history at the 2016 Games in Rio. Surprisingly, Malik replaced Geeta Phogat, a legendary Indian female wrestler who was injured at the time. Famous Indian Wrestlers Sakshi Malik, who currently works for Indian Railways, most recently won the gold medal at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
10. Gama Pehelwan
Famous Indian Wrestlers Strongman and wrestler in British India, Ghulam Mohammad Baksh Butt was also referred to as “The Great Gama.”. Gama, an Amritsar native, won the Rustam-e-Hind (Indian Wrestling Championship) and went undefeated for the duration of his career. Gama started challenging international grapplers because there wasn’t enough high-caliber competition in India, and he ended up defeating many renowned wrestlers and judokas. Gama even influenced Bruce Lee with his training methods and skill set.