'This title is for Vinesh didi': Phogat's village Balali celebrates Neha Sangwan - the new U-17 world champion

Vinesh Phogat and Neha Sangwan (Source: PTI and UWW)

A couple of weeks after a huge setback at Paris Olympics, Vinesh Phogat's village, Balali, has found a new reason to celebrate. While there was pain in Paris from the wrestling mat, on Thursday there was joy coming from the same mat, only the location changed from the French capital to Amman, Jordan. Neha Sangwan, who was among the crowd rejoicing Vinesh's homecoming, is now the new Under-17 world champion. The grappler defeated Japan’s So Tsutsui 10-0 in the 57kg category to don the new crown. “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 India too,” Neha was quoted as saying by The Indian Express in their report.

Meanwhile, Neha's father, Amit Kumar Sangwan is still soaking in the ecstasy to see her daughter make Balali proud just days after Vinesh's rousing reception at the village. “Neha had spent the whole afternoon getting the garland made for Vinesh’s welcome last week. When she had gone on stage, Vinesh would tell 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,” he was quoted as saying in the same report.

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Sangwan, who is a former sarpanch of the village, had enrolled his daughter to the academy run by Mahavir Phogat in the adjoining village of Jhojhu Kalan back in 2016. Neha, however, soon moved forward after winning junior national medals and becoming the state champion. With an eye on international glory, Neha then got herself under the coaching of Sajan Singh Mandola at the Krishan Akhada.

Reflecting on the work with Neha, coach Mandola said: “She had the instinct to attack but then the opponents would take advantage of her weak defence. So I had to make her quicker on the mat. She would run in the fields to build stamina and also cut down on weight. I would also make her wrestler against lower-weight category wrestlers in order to help her gain some speed on the mat. Slowly, she learnt to take advantage of her movement and speed and to make the counters.”

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Neha, who considers Vinesh nothing short of an idol, said the star grappler is an inspiration. In fact before leaving for the Olympics, Vinesh had met Neha and pepped her to "dream about the Olympics."

Neha has shown promise at an early age, having won the the Asian Under-15 title in the 54 kg category and the bronze medal in the 57 kg category in the World Cadet Wrestling Championships in Turkey, which was two years ago. This year Neha won the Asian U-17 Wrestling Championship in Jordan in June and is now the U-17 world champion.

Meanwhile, three other wrestlers -- Aditi Kumari (43 kg), Pulkit (65 kg) and Mansi Lather (73 Kg) -- won titles in their respective categories in the same event.