Ritika, Geeta Phogat's cousin, dies by suicide after losing match
In a shocking piece of news, Ritika Phogat, the cousin of famous wrestlers Geeta and Babita Phogat, allegedly committed suicide after she lost a match. Reportedly, 17-year-old Ritika had lost a competition on March 14 by merely one point and was unable to process the loss. The father of the Phogat sisters — Mahavir Singh Phogat — was also present at the tournament.
The tournament at Lohagarh Stadium in Bharatpur had started on March 12, with the finale being held on March 14. Ritika had received training from Dronacharya Award-winner Mahavir Singh Phogat. She was also a student of the Mahavir Phogat Sports Academy, reports India Today. She allegedly took her life at 11 pm by hanging herself, a report in News18 claimed.
As the news of her untimely death surfaced, people on Twitter commented on it. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader General VK Singh called the development terrible, saying that Ritika had a bright career ahead. "The world has changed from where it was some decades ago. Athletes are facing pressures that were not there earlier, (sic)" Singh tweeted this morning.
Terrible news that we lost #RitikaPhogat who had a brilliant career ahead. The world has changed from where it was some decades ago. Athletes are facing pressures which were not there earlier. An essential part of their training should be to deal with these pressures.
— Vijay Kumar Singh (@Gen_VKSingh) March 18, 2021
The Phogat family is famous for their immense contribution to the sport. Geeta had scripted history in 2010 by winning the first-ever gold in wrestling in Commonwealth Games. She is also India's first female wrestler to qualify for the Olympic Summer Games. Her sister, Babita, won the gold medal in wrestling in the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Their story had inspired the 2016 Bollywood movie Dangal.
In case you need help or know someone who does, you can reach out to AASRA for suicide prevention counseling. Their number is 022 2754 6669 (24 hours). You can also contact the Hyderabad-based Roshni NGO at +914066202000 or COOJ at +918322252525. Sneha India Foundation, which works 24X7, can be contacted at +914424640050. Vandrevala Foundation has trained counselors, and their number is 18602662345.
