Sonali Shingate Biography: Age, Height, Early Life, Career, Facts and Net Worth

Sonali Vishnu Shingate is an Indian kabaddi player who has built a long career with Maharashtra, Indian Railways and the Indian national team. Born on May 27, 1995, in Lower Parel, Mumbai, she first looked towards cricket but later entered kabaddi during her college years. What started as a sport she played with limited resources gradually became her profession and took her to the Asian Games, South Asian Games, Asian Kabaddi Championship and Kabaddi World Cup.

Sonali plays as a raider and has been especially known for her bonus-point game. She became a national-level name through her performances for Maharashtra and Indian Railways before making her India debut at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, where India won the silver medal. She later won gold at the 2019 South Asian Games, led India to gold at the 2025 Asian Women’s Kabaddi Championship in Tehran, and was part of India’s 2025 Women’s Kabaddi World Cup-winning team.

As of September 2026, Sonali remains part of India’s senior women’s kabaddi setup. She has also been named vice-captain of India’s women’s kabaddi team for the 2026 Asian Games, with Pushpa Rana as captain.

Sonali Shingate Biography

Category	Details
Full Name	Sonali Vishnu Shingate
Date of Birth	May 27, 1995
Age	31 years
Birthplace	Lower Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra
Nationality	Indian
Sport	Kabaddi
Playing Position	Raider
Height	Around 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm)
State	Maharashtra
College	Maharshi Dayanand College, Mumbai
Main Domestic Team	Indian Railways
Early Club	Shiv Shakti Mahila Sangh
International Debut	2018 Asian Games
Coach in early career	Rajesh Padave
Major Award	Shiv Chhatrapati Award
Asian Games Medal	Silver, 2018
South Asian Games Medal	Gold, 2019
Asian Championship	Gold, 2025
Kabaddi World Cup	Gold, 2025
2026 India Team Role	Vice-Captain
Boyfriend	Not publicly confirmed
Net Worth	Not publicly disclosed

Sonali Shingate Early Life

Sonali Shingate was born and brought up in Mumbai’s Lower Parel area. She comes from a family that had limited financial resources. Her father worked as a security guard, while her mother ran a small food-related business. Because of the family’s financial situation, sports equipment was not always easy to buy.

During her childhood, Sonali had a strong interest in cricket. However, cricket training required money and facilities that her family could not easily afford. Kabaddi gave her another option because she could start playing it without needing expensive equipment. This simple point played a major part in how she entered the sport.

After completing her junior college studies in 2012, Sonali became more interested in kabaddi. She joined Shivshakti Mahila Sangh, a Mumbai-based women’s kabaddi club, and started training under coach Rajesh Padave. Padave helped her with training and, according to reports based on her own account, even provided her with shoes and kit when she did not have them.

Her early training was not easy. Sonali has spoken about struggling even with running long distances when she first started. Reports about her early days say she used to train hard to improve her leg and stomach strength and also had to balance sports with college studies. Her story from this period shows that kabaddi was not an instant success for her; it took regular practice and patience.

Sonali Shingate Education

Sonali Shingate studied at Maharshi Dayanand College of Arts, Science and Commerce in Mumbai. During her college years, kabaddi slowly became more important in her life. She initially did not think of it as a long-term professional career, but her performances changed that path.

Her education remained important to her family. According to a BBC-based account of her journey, her family wanted her to make sure that sports did not affect her studies. She therefore had to manage training, matches and college work together.

Sonali Shingate Domestic Kabaddi Career

Sonali’s first major step at the state level came in 2014, when she represented Maharashtra at the Junior National Kabaddi Championship. Maharashtra’s campaign ended in the quarterfinals, but Sonali’s individual performances were noticed. She was then given the responsibility of captaining Maharashtra at the following Junior Nationals.

In the 2015 Junior Nationals, Maharashtra reached the final under Sonali’s captaincy. Her performances in these tournaments helped her move into a higher level of Indian women’s kabaddi. Soon after that, she got an opportunity to join Indian Railways, which became an important part of her domestic career.

Indian Railways has historically been one of the biggest employers and sporting systems supporting Indian kabaddi players. Sonali became a regular player for the Railways women’s team and continued to develop her raiding game under coach Gautami Aroskar.

Her domestic record includes multiple strong finishes in the Senior National Kabaddi Championship. Public player profiles credit her with gold medals with Indian Railways in the 64th, 65th and 66th Senior Nationals, followed by another title-winning campaign in the 67th edition.

The 67th Senior National Kabaddi Championship in Jaipur in 2020 was one of the biggest domestic moments of her career. Sonali was named the Player of the Tournament, while Indian Railways won the women’s title by defeating Himachal Pradesh 40-34 in the final. Sonali also scored a Super 10 in that match.

Sonali Shingate in the Women’s Kabaddi Challenge

Sonali also played in the Women’s Kabaddi Challenge, a tournament created for women’s kabaddi before a full-scale women’s professional league was established. She represented the Ice Divas team and became one of the players who got attention in the competition.

A match report from 2016 recorded Sonali scoring four raid points for Ice Divas against Firebirds. Another report from the same tournament showed her scoring an important raid point in a close game. These matches helped give her experience in a more visible competition.

Sonali Shingate International Career

Sonali Shingate’s international career began at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. She was selected in India’s women’s kabaddi team and made her international debut at the tournament. India reached the final but lost to Iran, finishing with the silver medal. This remains an important medal in Sonali’s career because it came at her first major international tournament.

According to available match records, Sonali played in six matches during the 2018 Asian Games. India’s results included wins over Japan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Chinese Taipei before the final against Iran.

The defeat against Iran stayed with Sonali for years. In a later interview, she spoke openly about how difficult it was to lose the Asian Games final after India had won gold in every previous women’s Asian Games edition since the event began in 2010.

Sonali Shingate at the 2019 South Asian Games

In 2019, Sonali was part of India’s women’s kabaddi team at the South Asian Games in Nepal. India won the gold medal after defeating Nepal 50-13 in the final. Sonali contributed through the raid department, including opening India’s scoring with a bonus point in the final.

This gold medal was especially important to Sonali because it was her first international gold with the senior national team. She later described the achievement as one that she would always remember.

Sonali Shingate and the 2023 Asian Games Injury

Sonali was selected for the Indian team for the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, which were held in 2023 after the event was postponed. However, her campaign was cut short before the tournament because of an ACL tear in her right knee during practice. She missed the Asian Games as a result.

The injury came close to the tournament, making the setback particularly difficult after she had waited several years for another Asian Games opportunity. Instead of being on the mat in Hangzhou, she had to go through rehabilitation and work towards a return to competitive kabaddi.

Her comeback later became a major part of her international career. By 2025, she had returned to India’s senior setup and was trusted with a leadership role.

Sonali Shingate at the 2025 Asian Women’s Kabaddi Championship

In March 2025, Sonali was named captain of the Indian women’s team for the 6th Senior Women’s Asian Kabaddi Championship in Tehran, Iran. The official Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India squad list named Sonali as captain and Pushpa as vice-captain.

India reached the final and defeated hosts Iran 32-25 to win the championship. This was India’s fifth Asian Women’s Kabaddi Championship title, and Sonali led the side during the tournament.

The title added another major gold medal to Sonali’s collection after the silver in Jakarta and gold in the South Asian Games. It also showed that she had returned to a leadership role after her knee injury.

Sonali Shingate at the 2025 Kabaddi World Cup

Later in 2025, Sonali was selected in India’s squad for the 2nd Women’s Kabaddi World Cup in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The official AKFI list named her as a right raider and listed Indian Railways as her department.

India went on to win the World Cup, defeating Chinese Taipei 35-28 in the final. Sonali was part of the title-winning Indian squad, adding a World Cup gold medal to her international record.

For Sonali, the World Cup victory also marked a major comeback after missing the 2023 Asian Games because of her ACL injury. She spoke publicly about the emotional value of returning to international competition after completing rehabilitation and then winning a world title with India.

Sonali Shingate in 2026

Sonali continued to be part of India’s senior kabaddi plans in 2026. During India’s high-performance camp at the Inspire Institute of Sport in Bellary, she spoke about the growing focus on strength and conditioning, recovery and structured training.

She was later named vice-captain of India’s women’s kabaddi team for the 2026 Asian Games, with Pushpa Rana appointed captain. Sonali is one of the returning members of India’s recent Asian Games and World Cup groups.

Sonali Shingate Personal Life

Sonali was raised in Mumbai in a family that had to manage with limited resources. Her father has been reported as working as a security guard, while her mother ran a small food business. Her family supported her sports journey despite the financial difficulties in her early years.

Her elder brother has also been part of her fitness routine. In an ESPN interview, Sonali spoke about working out at home with her brother and playing games with him during the COVID-19 lockdown period.

She has also spoken about the role played by her coaches and senior players in her development. Rajesh Padave was an early influence, while players such as Gauri Wadekar and Suvarna Bartakke helped guide her during the early stage of her kabaddi career.

Sonali Shingate Hobbies and Interests

Kabaddi and fitness naturally take up a large part of Sonali’s routine, but she has also spoken about interests away from the mat. In a 2026 interview, she said that she is a devotee of Lord Shiva and reads books related to Shiva and Parvati. She also has an interest in the teachings of Osho.

Sonali Shingate Boyfriend and Relationship Status

There is no reliable public information confirming Sonali Shingate’s boyfriend. She generally keeps her personal relationships away from detailed media coverage.

Sonali Shingate Net Worth

Sonali Shingate’s exact net worth has not been publicly disclosed by a reliable source. Some websites publish estimated figures, but there is no strong public evidence to confirm a specific amount.

Her professional income has included her work with Indian Railways, where she has represented the department in women’s kabaddi. She has also earned recognition through domestic and international competitions, but details of her salary, prize money, endorsements and investments are not publicly available in a verified form.

Sonali Shingate Awards and Major Achievements

Sonali’s career includes several medals and individual honours at different levels. Her domestic career brought multiple Senior National titles with Indian Railways, while her individual work earned her the Shiv Chhatrapati Award, presented by the Government of Maharashtra.

One of her biggest domestic honours came in 2020 when she was named Player of the Tournament at the 67th Senior National Kabaddi Championship. Indian Railways won the women’s championship in Jaipur, with Sonali scoring a Super 10 in the final.

Her international medal list later expanded with a silver at the 2018 Asian Games, gold at the 2019 South Asian Games, gold at the 2025 Asian Women’s Kabaddi Championship and gold as part of India’s 2025 World Cup-winning squad.

Sonali Shingate Overall Career Stats and Record

Because detailed women’s kabaddi statistics are not consistently published across all domestic and international competitions, a complete career raid-point or tackle-point total is not available from one reliable public database. The table below brings together the major publicly documented parts of Sonali Shingate’s career rather than adding unverified figures.

Competition / Stage	Year	Team	Result / Record
Junior National Kabaddi Championship	2014	Maharashtra	Quarterfinals
Junior National Kabaddi Championship	2015	Maharashtra	Runners-up; Sonali captain
Women’s Kabaddi Challenge	2016	Ice Divas	Featured raider; multiple match appearances
Senior National Kabaddi Championship	2016-17	Indian Railways	Gold
Senior National Kabaddi Championship	2017-18	Indian Railways	Gold
Asian Games	2018	India	Silver
Senior National Kabaddi Championship	2018-19	Indian Railways	Gold
South Asian Games	2019	India	Gold
Senior National Kabaddi Championship	2019-20	Indian Railways	Gold; Sonali Player of the Tournament
Asian Games	2018	India	6 recorded matches in available database
Asian Women’s Kabaddi Championship	2025	India	Gold; Sonali captain
Women’s Kabaddi World Cup	2025	India	Gold
Asian Games	2026	India	Selected squad; vice-captain

Domestic medal records are compiled from available player profiles and Indian Railways records; detailed raid/tackle totals are not consistently available across all these competitions.

Interesting Facts About Sonali Shingate

Sonali’s entry into kabaddi was closely linked to her interest in cricket and the financial limits faced by her family. Kabaddi offered her a sport that did not require expensive equipment at the beginning.

She started her serious kabaddi training only after junior college and then quickly moved from the Mumbai club level to Maharashtra’s junior side. Her coach Rajesh Padave played an early role in helping her learn the game.

Sonali was a member of the Ice Divas in the Women’s Kabaddi Challenge and was reported as one of the team’s attacking players. A 2016 match report recorded four raid points from her in one game.

She became a domestic star with Indian Railways and was named MVP of the 67th Senior National Kabaddi Championship in 2020.

Her first Asian Games appearance brought silver in 2018, while her next major Asian Games opportunity in 2023 was lost because of an ACL injury suffered shortly before the tournament.

In 2025, Sonali captained India to the Asian Women’s Kabaddi Championship title in Tehran. The Indian team beat Iran 32-25 in the final.

She was also part of India’s 2025 Women’s Kabaddi World Cup-winning team in Dhaka, making the year one of the biggest periods of her international career.

As of 2026, Sonali is part of India’s Asian Games squad and has been appointed vice-captain, adding a leadership role to her long international career.

From playing kabaddi with very little equipment in Mumbai to representing India at major international events, Sonali Shingate has had a career spanning more than a decade. Her journey includes domestic titles, international medals, a major injury, a return to the national team and leadership roles at the highest level of women’s kabaddi.