Daijiworld Media Network - Chandigarh

Chandigarh, Mar 18: The death of Ritika Phogat, maternal cousin of famed Geeta and Babita Phogat came as shock for the sports community. Ritika reportedly ended her life by hanging after she had lost the finals of a wrestling tournament unable to bear the embarrassment.

Ritika Phogat had reportedly participated in the state-level sub-junior, junior women, and men wrestling competition at Lohagarh Stadium in Bharatpur in Rajasthan between March 12 and 14. She lost the finals by just one point that shocked her. The tournament was attended by father of Phogat sisters, Mahavir Phogat.

Ritika, a resident of Jaitpur village in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu had been learning and practicing wrestling for over five years at Mahavir Phogat, a Donacharya awardee’s wrestling academy and at just 17, she had won many domestic as well as regional championships in wrestling.

The popularly known Phogat Sisters have carved a name for themselves in the sporting community after making India proud multiple times on international platforms. In the Delhi Commonwealth Games 2010, Geeta and Babita won gold and silver. Geeta Phogat was the first female wrestler to ever win a gold at the CWG tournament. She subsequently represented India at the 2012 London Olympic.

The family is in shock with the drastic step taken by Ritika and deeply pained.