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India's ace wrestler Vinesh Phogat will begin her campaign at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 on Thursday, August 5. She will face Sweden's Sofia Magdalena Mattson in the first round at Makuhari Messe Hall in Tokyo. Phogat has upgraded to the 53 kg weight category from her previous 48 kg category and will compete at Tokyo 2020 in the upgraded division.

Vinesh Phogat will walk into the squared circle with her hope high looking at her recent form. The Haryana-born wrestler has been in sublime form as she has dominated every tournament she has participated in this year. If we go by the numbers, Phogat has won 16 medals from 17 major competitions she has been part of.

However, competing at the Olympics will not be easy for the Indian wrestler as she will be up against some of the best in the world. In her first clash, she will face Magdalena Mattson, the bronze medalist of the 2016 Rio Olympics. Phogat, however, enjoys an upper hand, having beaten the Swedish wrestler 13-0 in the World Championship.

Everyone is rooting for the Indian wrestler to do well at the Olympics this year after she crashed out of the 2016 Rio Olympics due to an injury. Former wrestling coach Andrew Cook said in a recent interview that he sees Vinesh Phogat as the first Indian woman to become an Olympic gold medalist. “My observation is that she is ultra-competitive and has power, athleticism,  and a great wrestling instinct with coach Wioller Akos. I see her as the first Indian woman to become an Olympic gold medalist!” said Cook.

Schedule

Vinesh Phogat will face Sofia Magdalena Mattson on August 5. If she progresses to the next round, she may run into Asian Champion Vanesa Kaladzinskaya of Bulgaria in the quarterfinals. She can then meet Jacarra Winchester of the USA or Pang Qianyu of China in the semifinals.

When and where to watch the bout?

Phogat will be the first wrestler on Mat B when she takes on Magdalena. The bout will begin at 8 AM IST.  All the matches will be broadcast live on Sony Pictures Sports Network- Sony Ten 1, Sony Ten 2, Sony Ten 3, and Sony Six. The regional broadcast will be on Sony Ten 4, while the matches can be live-streamed on the SonyLiv app.