Geeta Phogat, a freestyle wrestler who set records in the wrestling field, is the one who won India’s first gold medal in wrestling when the Commonwealth Games were held in 2010. Once again, she became the first wrestler to qualify for the Olympic summer games.
Personal Life
Geeta Phogat was born on December 15, 1988, in Balali, Haryana. Her father, Mahavir Singh Phogat, was also a wrestler who won the Dronacharya award. Her mother is Shobha Kaur. She has three sisters, Sangeeta Phogat, Ritu Phogat, Babita Kumari, and a brother, Dushyant. She married a freestyle wrestler, Pawan Saroha, in November 2016.
Babita Kumari, Geeta’s younger sister, won a gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Another sister, Ritu Phogat, won one gold medal at the 2016 Commonwealth Games. Geeta’s youngest sister, Sangeeta Phogat, is also a wrestler and has collected medals at a lower level.
Wrestling Career
Geeta started her wrestling journey in 2009 when she won a gold medal in the tournament. After a year, she won India’s first gold medal in women’s wrestling at the Commonwealth Games. She defeated Emily Bensted of Australia. The games were held in India’s capital New Delhi.
In 2012, Geeta Phogat managed to grab a gold medal in the wrestling FILA Asian Olympic Qualification tournament, which was held in Kazakhstan. She won a bronze medal in the same game Tonya Verbeek of Canada beat her. The same year, Geeta won a bronze medal at the 2012 World Wrestling Championships. In the first round, Maria Gurova of Russia defeated Phogat, while in the second round, Saori Yoshida of Japan managed to defeat Phogat.
Geeta won a bronze medal in the 2012 Asian Wrestling Championships. Opponent Kanako Murata fought with strong twigs. Geeta lost to a Japanese opponent but was in second place in the 2013 Commonwealth wrestling championships. In 2015, Geeta won a bronze medal in the 58 kg category at the 2015 Asian Wrestling Championships held in Doha.
Phogat in Controversies
In 2016, Geeta Phogat was in controversy with the film Dangal. The film was based on the true story of the achievements of the Phogat sisters. The film also depicted the coach, PR Sondhi. The National Sports Academy (NSA) criticised the scene and asked for an apology from Aamir Khan for changing the coach’s intentions in the film.
Again in 2016, Geeta Phogat and Babita got disqualified from the 2016 Rio Olympics because of their injuries. The United World Wrestling delegates were not informed about their injuries, which led to their being disqualified from the tournament.
In 2018, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) again banned the Phogat sisters from attending the Asian Games, which were being organised in Jakarta. The Wrestling Federation of India notified the wrestlers and banned their entry. However, Geeta Phogat was granted permission to attend the tournament.
Awards
Geeta won the Arjuna Award in 2012. Bronze in the World Wrestling Championship. A gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. A gold medal at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship Again, a gold medal in 2011 in the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship.
After two years, she achieved a silver medal in the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships. In the Asian Wrestling Championship, she won two bronze medals, and in 2012, she won the FILA Asian Olympic Qualification tournament. A silver medal in the Dave Schultz Memorial Tournament of 2013. Again, a bronze medal in the Dave Schultz Memorial Tournament 2014.
