Yogesh Chaudhary's story is different, like her name. She got into fitness to overcome internal body weakness, and strengthened her body through powerlifting. It wasn’t long before she got into arm wrestling at the age of 41, and her life started taking a turn.
The mother of two children, a home maker, is setting herself up for another season of the Pro Panja League, which gave her the recognition she had been yearning for. The high point so far came when she secured gold medals in both the 80kg+ Left and Right categories in the Women's Seniors division at the Asian ArmWrestling Cup 2024, and now she dreams of becoming a world champion.
Her journey in the sport is particularly inspiring as she defied societal norms and began her professional arm wrestling career later in life, when many give up the sport, after fulfilling family responsibilities. She turned her weakness due to an illness into strength and fought back gallantly.
“I was down with typhoid 7-8 times in a single year. It made my body weak, and the infection spread all over my body. My veins were weak, I couldn't lift weights, I did all the required tests and pursued proper medication, but got no relief. Then one day, I overheard from someone that working out improves things and ensures adequate body movements.
To overcome my weakness, I went to the gym for the first time. My gym coach said your body strength is good, but I was too weak even to lift a glass of water. After one month, my body started recovering, and my condition changed. So I continued to go to the gym and started powerlifting,” said Yogesh in an exclusive interaction with FPJ on Saturday.
She soon ventured into arm wrestling and is now hailed as India’s strongest woman arm wrestler, with an unbeaten streak in her weight category for several years. “I had seen arm wrestling before and also liked it and knew I could play, but due to Corona and my brother’s illness, I didn't continue it. But I happened to meet an arm wrestling coach during the 2021 West Bengal Nationals. He saw the talent in me and convinced me to take up the sport. I left powerlifting and started training properly for arm wrestling. I trained hard for 3-4 months before the 2022 nationals in Hyderabad and performed well there. After a successful campaign, I decided to take the sport seriously.”
The problem was, she had crossed 40, and starting arm wrestling afresh wasn't a cakewalk. “Age is no bar. Whenever you get an opportunity, you have to grab it and go ahead in life. I always had an interest in doing something in sport, but my family circumstances were such that I couldn't do what my heart always wanted. After fulfilling family responsibilities, I had some free time and decided to use it for myself. But in my Village (Paliwal) in Haryana, there were hardly any female sports persons, and perhaps none of my age. So, people around our home were skeptical when I started, but my family supported me. I faced a lot of difficulties initially, but as I started performing, people's perspective changed,” she said.
Pro Panja League changed the perception of the sport not only in cities but also in her small Village. “My good performances impressed all. I came into Pro Panja League Season 1 after a good performance in a national ranking tournament in Gwalior, where I finished No. 1 in the 65+ category. The journey started from there, and during the League, people watched me live on Sony Sports on TV. People were not used to watching arm wrestling, but when people saw the game, their perspective changed. They said it is a game, but a new one.”
Hailing from Haryana, she has won multiple national titles and was a standout in Season 1 of the Pro Panja League. Known for her powerful right-hand hits and sheer dominance at the table, Yogesh has become an icon in Indian arm wrestling, especially in the women’s division. Yogesh is now preparing for Season 2, looking to once again establish her supremacy and continue breaking barriers for women in strength sports. Yogesh is now looking forward to season 2 after a successful season 1. “First season experience was good. All players were strong, and the matches were good. In the second season, the competition will be better and the excitement will be higher. I have an opportunity to show my capability, and I want to prove myself. I have done well in Asia and want to do more. My ultimate dream is to be a world champion,” she said.
