Personal Life and Family:
- 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.
Career Highlights:
- 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.
Legacy and Influence:
- 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.
In Popular Culture:
- 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.