We know her as the feisty wrestler who has won many laurels for the nation on the international stage and also had her and her family's life depicted in a hit Bollywood movie, Dangal. But Geeta Phogat revealed another side to her with a beautiful post on social media where she not only revealed that she is pregnant but also expressed her poetic emotions.
The picture shows the 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist standing at a scenic location amongst the hills showing off her baby bump. Her post reads: "'A mother's joy begins when new life is stirring inside... when a tiny heartbeat is heard for the very first time, and a playful kick reminds that liitle one is never alone.' You never understand life until it grows inside of you"
This message received great response from her fans, followers and the general Twitterati with congratulatory messages flooding in as replies. This pregnancy means she will have to take a break from wrestling but hopefully with the help of top-quality physical trainers, she will be able to get back in shape to resume her career after becoming a mother.
The 30-year old got married in 2016 to fellow wrestler Pawan Kumar. Her younger sister Babita Kumari is also a wrestler who too won gold at the Commonwealth Games. Vinesh Phogat, another Commonwealth Games gold medallist, is also from the same family and is Geeta and Babita's cousin.
The 2016 Bollywood movie Dangal sought to depict the story of the two girls' rise through the coaching of their father Mahavir Singh Phogat, a prominent wrestler in his own time and Dronacharya Award winner.
Geeta's husband Pawan competes in the freestyle version of wrestling and secured a bronze for the country in the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Interestingly, Babita and Mahavir Singh recently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). With the Assembly elections in their state Haryana scheduled for later in the year, it would be interesting to see whether either of the two are fielded as candidates.
Coming back to Geeta, even though her gold in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in front of the home crowd in Delhi was the most memorable moment of her career, she also has a bronze medal at the 2012 World Championship in her kitty, arguably a much bigger achievement.
She hasn't been able to achieve as much success in recent times as she did in the early part of this decade. Perhaps a maternity break is just what she needs. One thing is certain, she would have the blessings and best wishes of millions with her after this announcement.
