If her family has already shattered the glass ceiling, Vinesh Phogat has been carrying forward the legacy of the epic triumphs of her uncle and cousins immortalized in the Bollywood blockbuster Dangal (2016). She became the first-ever Indian woman wrestler to win a gold medal at the Asian Games with her emphatic win in Jakarta a week ago. But now she has accomplished yet another heart-winning act the modus operandi of which has stunned many.
She has pinned her rivals down on the mat. But this time, the champion girl has got her long-time boyfriend and fellow national-level wrestler Somvir Rathi on one knee. Yes, the gold medal-winner has given her precious heart to the man of her life in style.
As thousands of her fans were waiting for their golden girl at the Delhi airport, an inimitable Phogat has transformed the hero's welcome for her, planned by her fans and family members, into her own engagement ceremony in a dramatic style. More importantly, the day on which she exchanged the rings was her 24th birthday.
Vinesh Phogat of India suppresses Irie Yuki of Japan in the final of women's freestyle 50 kg for a wrestling event, Assembly Hall of Jakarta Convention Center, Indonesia, August 20, 2018. /VCG Photo
Her uncle and family patriarch Mahavir Phogat, whose life was portrayed by actor Aamir Khan in Dangal, was also present during the surprise engagement of her Asian Games winner niece.
Incidentally, like her family's struggles in their roller-coaster life, Phogat had to overcome a series of gossips associating with her and India's ace javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who too won the gold medal in Jakarta. Both Phogat and Chopra had to take the social media site Twitter to rubbish those unsubstantiated media reports about their alleged relationship in the middle of the Asian Games. However, her stunning decision has not only laid all those canards to rest for good but also helped her to get ready for a new life.
She had also earlier posted a photograph of herself with her fiancee on a social networking site with the caption: "The best decision I ever made! Glad you pinned me for life."
The duo knows each other for the past seven years and Phogat's uncle Mahavir and Rathi's father, another former wrestler, have been close family friend for a while.
The unusual venue for the surprise engagement ceremony at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport also saw the cupid-struck lovebirds cutting the cake together and eating it too.