mahavir singh phogat

Mahavir Singh Phogat is an Indian amateur wrestler, senior Olympics coach, and politician known for training his daughters and nieces in wrestling, who have achieved international success. He is notably the father and coach of Geeta Phogat, the first Indian woman to win a gold medal in wrestling at the Commonwealth Games and to qualify for the Olympics, and Babita Kumari, a Commonwealth Games gold medalist and World Wrestling Championships bronze medalist. The Hindi biographical film "Dangal" is loosely based on his life and coaching journey. Phogat hails from a small village in Haryana and has been recognized with the prestigious Dronacharya Award by the Government of India in 2016. He has coached not only his four daughters—Geeta, Babita, Ritu, and Sangeeta—but also his nieces Vinesh and Priyanka Phogat, who have all won medals at national and international wrestling championships. Phogat is appreciated for breaking societal norms by training women wrestlers from his village and has been influential in promoting women's wrestling in India. The story of his dedication to coaching his daughters and nieces against many social challenges gained widespread attention and inspired the popular film "Dangal," where Aamir Khan played Mahavir Singh Phogat. Apart from coaching, Mahavir Singh Phogat has also been involved in politics and served as an advisor to sports initiatives aiming to promote wrestling and MMA in India.