Hong Kong Rugby Sevens 2019 Competition entry by Tristan Wilkinson
We asked our readers about their favourite sports star and most amazing sporting moment and here is one of the entries. It has not been edited
Geeta was portrayed by Zaira Wasim (centre) in Bollywood movie, Dangal.I think it goes without saying that women in sport have it much harder; they are discriminated against, regarded as sub-par and in many parts of the world, discouraged completely from taking part in sport. Geeta Phogat is a world renowned Indian wrestler, known best for being the first female participant from India to win the commonwealth games.
What makes her achievements even greater is her determination; her path to success was neither easy nor unhindered. Particularly in martial arts, women have to combat a plethora of stereotypes including that it is 'boring' compared to men's wrestling, as men are generally considered stronger than women. All in all, wrestling is simply seen as a man's sport.
Geeta Phogat was regularly woken up at 3:30 by her father, also a wrestler previously, to train long hours and eventually compete in competitions in her village that only included boys – and she won these. By doing so, she not only disproved many stereotypes about female athletes weaker, but also proved her will power and cemented her path to being a world class athlete.
It goes without saying that in a world where women are still considered second-class citizens in many countries and generally undervalued in many societies, that we need a better and stronger portrayal of women and what better display of strength than Geeta Phogat's raw grit and success in the wrestling world against all odds. She is an example to all young aspiring female athletes and has, and will continue to, inspire women all around the world to persevere in sport and athleticism.