Geeta Phogat : A Symbol of Strength, Resilience, and Victory

Born on December 15, 1988, in Balali village of Charkhi Dadri district, Haryana, Geeta Phogat hails from a family deeply rooted in wrestling.
Her father, Mahavir Singh Phogat, a former wrestler and Dronacharya Award recipient, serves as both her father and coach.
Geeta’s sister Babita Kumari and cousin Vinesh Phogat are also Commonwealth Games gold medalists, while her other sisters, Ritu and Sangita Phogat, are accomplished wrestlers as well.
She married fellow wrestler Pawan Kumar in November 2016, and they welcomed their first child, a son, in December 2019.

Geeta Phogat made history by winning India’s first-ever gold medal in wrestling at the Commonwealth Games in 2010.
She also became the first Indian female wrestler to qualify for the Olympic Summer Games.
In the 2009 Commonwealth Wrestling Championship, held in Jalandhar, Punjab, she clinched the gold medal.
At the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, she secured India’s inaugural gold medal in women’s wrestling.
Phogat won a gold medal in the Wrestling FILA Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in 2012, paving her way to the Summer Olympics.
Despite facing challenges at the 2012 Olympics, she showcased her resilience by winning a bronze medal at the World Wrestling Championships held in Canada the same year.
Phogat has also performed admirably in various other international tournaments, including the Asian Wrestling Championships and the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships.

Geeta Phogat’s remarkable journey has inspired a generation of wrestlers in India and beyond.
Her story, along with those of her sisters, was immortalized in the Bollywood film “Dangal,” where she was portrayed by Fatima Sana Shaikh and Zaira Wasim.

The film “Dangal,” directed by Aamir Khan, is loosely based on the lives of Geeta Phogat and her sisters, highlighting their struggles and triumphs in the world of wrestling.
Wrestler Pooja Dhanda was initially chosen to portray Babita Phogat in the movie but had to withdraw due to injury, later defeating senior Phogat sister Geeta Phogat in a real-life national championship.