The Dangal sisters: How Phogats defined legacy of women’s wrestling in India

India have a rich wrestling history. From the days of Gama Pehlwan in the early part of the previous century to legends like KD Jadhav and Sushil Kumar, the conversation around wrestling in India was largely restricted to the men.

The first seminal moment for women’s wrestling in India came with Alka Tomar’s bronze in the 59kg at the 2006 world championships. It was the country’s first world championship medal in 39 years. However, it did not create much buzz.

The change of perception around women’s wrestling happened with the rise of the Phogat sisters.

The Phogat sisters comprise Geeta, Babita, Ritu and Sangeeta. They are the daughters of coach Mahavir Singh Phogat. Priyanka and Vinesh Phogat are their cousins but were raised by Mahavir after their father Rajpal died when they were young.

Geeta and Babita Phogat kick it off

The story of the Phogat sisters - Geeta and Babita - was immortalised in the Bollywood movie Dangal, where superstar Aamir Khan played the role of their father Mahavir Singh Phogat.

While the siblings gained widespread popularity after the 2016 movie, their feats in the wrestling world had made people sit and take notice much earlier.

Geeta Phogat - the elder of the two siblings - made history at the 2010 Commonwealth Games when she won the gold medal in the women’s 55kg category. It was the first gold medal by a female Indian wrestler at the Commonwealth Games.

Younger sister Babita Phogat won silver in the 51kg.

It was a fitting reward for the sisters’ hard work and dedication - from fighting against society’s demure expectations of women to a rigorous training regime devised by their father, a former wrestler himself and now a renowned coach.

Two years later, Geeta Phogat became the first woman wrestler from India to qualify for the summer Olympics, competing in the 55kg category at London 2012.

She fell to three-time Olympic medallist Tonya Verbeek in the round of 16 and then lost in the repechage round in the chase for bronze.

However, a few months down the line, Geeta Phogat won her first world championship medal, a bronze in the 55kg. Babita Phogat also won bronze in the 51kg category.

Those were the only two medals India won at the 2012 women’s world championships.

A ligament tear on her right knee necessitated surgery for Geeta Phogat in early 2014 and it kept her out of action for more than a year.

Since then, her career has been beset by injuries, which have not allowed Geeta Phogat to compete regularly.

Babita Phogat though continued her progress - winning the 55kg gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and following it up with silver at the 2018 edition, in the 53kg. She opted to join politics in 2019 but continues to be a professional wrestler.

Geeta and Babita’s two younger sisters, Ritu and Sangeeta, have also represented India on the international stage.

Ritu Phogat is a former wrestler who won gold at the 2016 Commonwealth championships and bronze at the 2017 Asian championships. However, she has since shifted focus to mixed martial arts (MMA).

Youngest sister Sangeeta Phogat is a wrestler who has represented India in a few events. She is married to Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Bajrang Punia.

The mantle of flag-bearer for Indian women’s wrestling though has stayed in the Phogat family.

Vinesh Phogat takes over

With a surname as famous as that, the pressure on Vinesh Phogat was bound to be high and she has responded spectacularly.

A cousin of Geeta and Babita Phogat - their father Mahavir and Vinesh’s father Rajpal are brothers - Vinesh Phogat was trained by Mahavir Singh Phogat from a very young age.

Vinesh Phogat first made waves with a 51kg silver medal at the 2013 world youth championships and then won bronze at the 2013 Asian championships.

She rose to fame at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, winning gold in the 48kg category and then took bronze a few months later at the Asian Games.

Vinesh Phogat qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics and was seen as a medal favourite but a heartbreaking knee injury put paid to those hopes.

The Indian wrestler fought back hard, winning a medal at each edition of the Asian championships since 2015 and clinching gold at both the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games in 2018.

In 2019, Vinesh Phogat won her first world championships medal, a bronze in the 53kg and qualified for Tokyo 2020.

She climbed to world No. 1 and was the top seed at the Tokyo Olympics but lost in the quarter-finals.

Vinesh Phogat then admitted to not being in the best physical or mental shape at Tokyo and underwent elbow surgery on her return to India.

Vinesh's younger sister Priyanka Phogat, unsurprisingly, is also a wrestler who won silver at the 2016 Asian championships.

The future of women’s wrestling is in safe hands and it all began with the ascent of the Phogat sisters a decade ago.

Phogat sisters