(Image source from: hindustantimes.com)

Indian female wrestler Vinesh Phogat has become the first Indian sportsperson to be nominated for Laurels World Sports Award that honors individuals and teams from the world of sports along with achievements in sporting all through the year.

Vinesh, who has been nominated in “Laureus World Sporting Comeback” category for the year 2019, will be competing with Canadian snowboarder Mark McMorris, golf great Tiger Woods, American alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn, Japanese figure skater Yuzuru Manyu, and Dutch para-snowboarding star Bibian Mentel-Spee.

Earlier this year, Vinesh won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, another gold at the Asian Games in Jakarta, and a silver in the 2018 Asian Championships in Bishkek. The gold in Jakarta was the first by an Indian female wrestler at the Asian Games.

The 24-year-old Vinesh’s career in wrestling was thought to be over after she suffered a knee injury that ended her quarter-final bout and as well her dreams of winning a medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

But then after working her way back to fitness, Vinesh announced her comeback with the Commonwealth Games gold and a victory at the Madrid Grand Prix. In 2016, she had lost the Olympic quarter-final to China's San Yanan. Her 2018 Asian Games had begun with a repeat of the fixture and Vinesh went on to triumph the match 8-2.

Vinesh was one of the nominees for the Padma Shri award in 2018, after giving her best at the Asiad. Three years after the grim injury, Vinesh is now expected to be a favorite to win a medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

-Sowmya Sangam