Geeta Phogat, India's first female wrestler to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal, shares her experiences in a candid conversation. She talks about her disciplined life, waking up at 4:30 AM for training, and her love for wrestling. Geeta credits her father, Mahavir Singh Phogat, for her success, despite his tough and demanding coaching style. She also discusses the challenges she faced as a female wrestler in a male-dominated sport and the societal pressures she encountered.
Geeta shares her joy in seeing girls taking up sports, especially wrestling, and the impact of the movie Dangal on inspiring a new generation of female wrestlers. She reveals her plans to become a coach and open an academy to promote girls' wrestling after her retirement.
Throughout the conversation, Geeta showcases her down-to-earth personality, sense of humor, and dedication to her craft. The conversation is interspersed with lighthearted moments, including her interactions with her husband, Pawan Kumar, also a wrestler, and her love for green tea and eggs.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Geeta Phogat is a wrestler and the eldest daughter of a famous wrestling family in India.
2. She has won a medal at the Commonwealth Games.
3. Geeta trains at an academy in Sonepat, Haryana.
4. She wakes up at 4:30 am for training.
5. Her daily routine consists of training for 2-4 hours in the morning and 3-4 hours in the evening.
6. Geeta's father is her coach and has been instrumental in her wrestling career.
7. She got married to Pawan Kumar, a fellow wrestler and Commonwealth Games medalist.
8. Geeta has a tattoo on her arm, which she got 2-3 months before her wedding.
9. She thinks that having a life partner from the same field has been beneficial for her wrestling career.
10. Geeta's best day in her career was when she won a medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2010.
11. Her father wanted her and her sisters to win an Olympic medal, which is still his unfulfilled dream.
12. Geeta's family, especially her father, has been very supportive of her wrestling career.
13. She has faced criticism and negativity from society, but her father's support has been crucial in overcoming these challenges.
14. Geeta has noticed a change in the mindset of people towards girls in sports, especially after the release of the movie Dangal.
15. She has inspired many girls to take up wrestling, and her academy now has around 15 girl students.
16. Geeta's long-term goal is to become a top-notch coach and open an academy to promote girls in wrestling.
17. She wants to help other girls achieve at least as much as she has in her wrestling career.