Sportstar Aces 2023, Popular Choice: Vinesh Phogat nominated for ‘Sportstar of the Year (Female)‘ award

Vinesh Phogat added more laurels to her illustrious career with medals at the Commonwealth Games and Wrestling World Championships.

Vinesh Phogat celebrates after winning against Sri Lanka’s Chamodya Keshani Maduravalage Don and clinching the gold medal. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Vinesh Phogat has been nominated for the ‘Popular Choice - Sportstar of the Year (Female)‘ award at the upcoming Sportstar Aces Awards 2023.

When Vinesh Phogat pinned Chamodya Maduravalage Don at Birmingham in the women’s 53kg event at the Commonwealth Games, she became the first Indian woman wrestler to win a gold medal at three successive events at the Games.

She would make more history a month later at the 2022 Wrestling World Championships in Belgrade, winning a bronze medal in the women’s 53kg event.

In doing so, she became the first Indian woman to win multiple medals at the Wrestling World Championships, adding to the bronze she had won in 2019.

In 2022:

• Won gold at CWG 2022; first Indian woman wrestler to win gold at three successive events at CWG.
• Won bronze at the 2022 Wrestling World Championships in Belgrade; first Indian woman to win multiple medal at the Wrestling World Championships.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ACES AWARDS 2023

There are 27 categories of awards this year – five Popular Choice and 22 Jury awards.

The five Popular Choice awards are Sportsman of the Year, Sportswoman of the Year, National Team of the Year, Club Team of the Year and Sporting Moment of the Year.

The Jury awards are Sportsman of the Year (Cricket, Racquet Sports, Individual Sports, Track and Field, Team Sports, Parasports), Sportswoman of the Year (Cricket, Racquet Sports, Individual Sports, Team Sports, Track and Field, Parasports), Coach of the Year, Best State for Promotion of Sports, Best Corporate for Promotion of Sports, Best PSU for Promotion of Sports, Best College/University for Promotion of Sports, Lifetime Achievement Award, Young Achiever of the Year (Boy), Young Achiever of the Year (Girl), Best Talent Mentor (Grassroots Coach).

A new award called the Spirit of Sport is also being introduced. It will look at rewarding deeds of great sportsmanship.

There will also be a separate Chairperson’s Award for Sports for the Social Good, which will honour individuals or organisations that have used the power of sports to make our world a better place.

The event is powered by IDFC First Bank and supported by Indian Oil, India Cements, United India, Ramaiah University, Experimenta Science Center GD Naidu Charity, Finolex Pipes, LIC, BPCL, Samsonite, Big Basket, Nippon Paint, CRICHQ, Casagrand and Wordswork.