Geeta Phogat

Geeta Phogat is an Indian freestyle wrestler who earned the country's first gold medal in wrestling at the Commonwealth Games in 2010. She is also the first female wrestler from India to earn a spot in the Summer Olympics.

Geeta is the first woman to represent her nation with a Commonwealth gold in the sport. She also qualified for the Olympics. Her achievements have boosted national pride, and her abilities have blown away the world of wrestling. Her father raised and trained her in a male-dominated environment, which makes her personal life remarkable.

Family and Personal Life

Geeta Phogat was born on December 15, 1998, in the village of Balali in Haryana's Charkhi Dadri district. Her father, a former wrestler, and Dronacharya Award winner Mahavir Singh Phogat, became her coach. Her astrological sign is Sagittarius.

Her siblings,sister Babita Kumari and brother Vinesh Phogat, both won gold medals in their respective categories at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Ritu Phogat, Geeta Phogat's younger sister, is also an international wrestler who won gold in the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship in 2016. Sangita Phogat, her younger sister, is a wrestler as well.

She married wrestler Pawan Kumar on November 20, 2016. The couple gave birth to a son as their first child in December 2019.

Education

Geeta Phogat attended Deeksha Bhiwani School for her early education. She also completed her college education at MDU University in Rohtak, Haryana.

Physical Attributes

She is 162 cm or approximately 5 feet 3.5 inches tall and weighs about 65 kg.

Career

• 2009 Commonwealth Wrestling Championship

She won the gold medal at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship, organized in Jalandhar, Punjab, between December 19, 2009, and December 21, 2009.

• 2010 Commonwealth Games

She won India's first-ever gold medal in women's wrestling at the Commonwealth Games held in New Delhi.

• 2012 Summer Olympics

Geeta Phogat won a gold medal in the Wrestling FILA Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in April 2012. She received her training at Patiala's Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NSNIS) under the guidance of principal coach O.P. Yadav and international specialist Ryan Dobo.

Tonya Verbeek of Canada defeated Phogat in her first fight with a score of 1:3. She was offered the opportunity to earn the bronze medal because the Canadian went to the finals. In the repechage round, she was defeated by Ukrainian Lazareva.

• 2012 World Wrestling Championships

Phogat was awarded the bronze medal in Canada's 2012 World Wrestling Championships.

Phogat defeated Russian Maria Gurova with a score of 3:1 in the first round. Saori Yoshida of Japan defeated Phogat with a score of 5:0 in the second round. After the Japanese Yoshida proceeded to the finals, Phogat participated in the repechage round. She defeated Kazakhstan's Akziya Dautbayeva with a score of 3:1 in her first match before defeating Ukraine's Natalya Sinishin in the match with a score of 3:0 for the bronze medal.

• 2012 Asian Wrestling Championships

Phogat was defeated by a score of 5:0 by Japanese opponent Kanako Murata in the first round of the 2012 Asian Wrestling Championships. Phogat competed in the bronze medal round and defeated Mongolian Sumiya Erdenechimeg with a score of 3:1 to win the bronze medal in the 55 kg weight class.

• 2013 Commonwealth Wrestling Championships

Phogat placed second and received a silver medal in the women's freestyle 59 kg classification at the tournament held in Johannesburg, South Africa, after losing the final match to Oluwafunmilayo Adeniyi of Nigeria.

• 2015 Asian Wrestling Championships

Phogat positioned third place at the 2015 Asian Wrestling Championships in Doha, earning bronze in the freestyle 58 kg division opposite Kazakhstan's Aiym Abdildina. She had to compete against Japanese Kaori Icho, a nine-time global champion, and lost with a 0:10 score at the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas. Phogat was given the option to compete in the bronze medal repechage since Icho had qualified for the finals. Elif Jale Yeşilrmak of Turkey defeated her with a 0:10 score.

Career Achievements

• Gold Medals

Geeta Phogat has won four gold medals in tournaments held in India and other countries. She won gold at the Commonwealth Championships in 2009 and 2011 and the Commonwealth Games in 2015.

• Silver Medals

The Commonwealth Championship has long been among the Phogat sisters' primary priorities. Geeta earned only one silver medal at the 2013 competition in Johannesburg, South Africa.

• Bronze Medals

Geeta has received three bronze medals. Two bronze medals were earned at the Asian Championships, held in Gumi in 2012 and Doha in 2015.

Movie Based on Geeta Phogat's Life: Dangal

A successful film based on Geeta Kumari Phogat's life was released in 2017, and its name was "Dangal." The movie went on to become one of the year's biggest blockbusters. The film received positive reviews from the audience, who found it inspirational for female children.

The film focuses on popular wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat, who earned a name for himself in the sport. Despite not having a son, he has always followed and admired wrestling. He believed that delivering honor to the nation was possible with the help of both son and daughter. He performs brilliantly and helps his older daughter win a gold medal for the country.