Geeta Phogat is an Indian female wrestler hailing from Haryana. She is the first wrestler from India who won the gold medals in the women"s wrestling in the 55 kg freestyle category. She is the first Indian female wrestler to attain Olympic qualification. Geeta Phogat belongs to the wrestling roots in her family.
Geeta Phogat came from a Hindu Jat family of Balali village in Bhiwani district of Haryana. Her father was Mahavir Singh, who was a former wrestler in India; He also served as her coach. She was trained in mire arenas under the supervision of her father Mahavir Singh. Mahavir Singh, one of the famous internationally acclaimed Indian wrestlers also trained Geeta Phogat"s two sisters- Babita and Ritu.
Geeta Phogat had earlier won gold in the 2009 Commonwealth Wrestling Championship. She qualified for the 2012 London Olympics but could not win a medal. She was trained by O.P. Yadav at Patiala in Punjab. Geeta Phogat is the first-ever Indian woman wrestler to have qualified for the Olympics.
Geeta Phogat won a gold medal in the Wrestling FILA Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament that concluded at Almaty, Kazakhstan in April 2012.
Geeta Phogat has undergone rigorous training at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports, (NSNIS), Patiala, under the guidance of chief coach O.P. Yadav and foreign expert Ryan Dobo.
Geeta Phogat has numerous other international medals to her credit, including three consecutive medals in the Asian Cadet Championships in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
Geeta Phogat was beaten in her opening fight by Canadian Tonya Verbeek (1-3). Geeta received a chance to win bronze medal since Tonya Lynn Verbeek went to the finals. In the repichage round, she lost her first repichage match to Lazareva from Ukraine.
In the senior women world wrestling championship September 2012 in Canada, Geeta along with her sister Babita Kumari won the bronze medals under the guidance of women chief coach O. P. Yadav NIS Patiala.
Geeta Phogat is now serving as the Honorary Sub- Inspector that was rewarded by the State Government of Haryana, on achieving the gold medal in wrestling in the international arena.
