Babita Kumari Phogat is an Indian freestyle wrestler from Haryana, known for her achievements at the Commonwealth Games and her role in popularising women's wrestling in India. She is a member of the Phogat wrestling family, trained under her father and coach Mahavir Singh Phogat.
| Full name | Babita Kumari Phogat |
|---|---|
| Born | 20 November 1989 |
| Birthplace | Balali, Bhiwani district (now Charkhi Dadri district), Haryana |
| Sport | Freestyle wrestling |
| Weight category | 55 kg (also competed in 51 kg and 53 kg) |
| Coach | Mahavir Singh Phogat (father) |
| Spouse | Vivek Suhag (m. 2019) |
| Notable honour | Arjuna Award (2013) |
Babita was born in the village of Balali in Haryana into a family with a strong wrestling tradition. Her father, Mahavir Singh Phogat, a former wrestler and Dronacharya Award recipient, trained his daughters in wrestling at a time when the sport was largely male-dominated in rural Haryana. Her elder sister Geeta Phogat became the first Indian woman wrestler to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal and to qualify for the Olympics. Her cousins Vinesh Phogat and Ritu Phogat are also accomplished wrestlers.
At the 2010 Commonwealth Games held in Delhi, Babita won a silver medal in the 51 kg freestyle category, finishing behind her sister Geeta who took gold in 55 kg the same year.
She won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship held in 2012, contributing to India's strong showing in the women's freestyle categories.
At the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, Babita won the gold medal in the 55 kg freestyle wrestling category, defeating Canada's Brittanee Laverdure in the final. This was widely regarded as the high point of her competitive career.
She represented India at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon. She also competed at multiple editions of the World Wrestling Championships and Asian Wrestling Championships, with a bronze medal at the 2012 Commonwealth Wrestling Championship being among her notable continental-level performances.
At the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, she won a silver medal in the 53 kg category.
The story of the Phogat sisters' rise in wrestling was the inspiration for the 2016 Hindi feature film Dangal, directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Aamir Khan Productions, in which Babita's character was played by Fatima Sana Shaikh (adult) and Suhani Bhatnagar (younger). The film became one of the highest-grossing Indian films and brought wide public attention to the family.
Babita has also appeared in Indian television reality programmes and has been active on social media, where she frequently comments on sports and public affairs.
In 2019, Babita Phogat joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and contested the Haryana Legislative Assembly election from the Dadri seat, but was not elected. She was subsequently appointed to a position in the Haryana state government related to sports administration.
Along with her sister Geeta, Babita is credited with helping change the perception of women's wrestling in India, particularly in Haryana, where social conservatism had historically discouraged girls from taking up combat sports. The success of the Phogat sisters contributed to a wider movement of Indian women entering wrestling at the international level, with subsequent achievements by Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and others.