Geeta Phogat

“We have regularly won medals at all tournaments and I think after 'Dangal,' the craze for wrestling increased among the girls.”

“After our life history was shown on the silver screen and much appreciated by the audiences, I have more of a responsibility on my shoulders now.”

“In real life I have conquered my worst fears by fighting and beating bigger wrestlers in dangal. So I am not afraid of anything.”

“One never knows how a bout is going to pan out and even in last 2-3 seconds things can change.”

“After I stop wrestling, my dream is to open a wrestling academy, train students and produce more Geetas and Babitas!”

“There was no roof where we trained, so it used to get very hot during the day and the mud used to feel very cold during the evening.”

“I want to settle down and start an academy in a rural area, because I feel that's where most champions come from. If you have everything in life, why would you wake up at 3:30 A.M. to train? I feel there's a lot of talent that goes untapped there, especially in women sports.”

“All young wrestlers would love to see their game back in Olympics.”

“Things are not going to change until Indian women, and their parents, stop being afraid of what society will say. This is the single biggest obstacle. The fear of what people will say and how this will shame their parents means that women are paralysed.”

“Before Babita and my win at the CommonWealth Games, nobody used to take Indian women wrestlers seriously.”

“Our akhara was very basic. It was just a little opening next to where the animals were tied. We had to first dig the soil with our bare hands, make it loose, before we could begin our session. I used to hate it. It also used to be either too hot or too cold. There were no mats, no mattresses, nothing.”

“Sushil is an experienced player, a big player.”

“I have overcome most of my fears.”

“The media attention does not bother me. I am very happy that the media is at least interested in sports other than cricket.”

“World Championships is the toughest competition in the world.”

“Isn't it wrong to target and brand an entire state in a poor light?”

“Wrestlers from Japan and Canada are very tough.”

“We have won laurels for the country in wrestling but still, in spite of winning medals, not many people recognised us.”

“It is extremely difficult to get a medal at the World Championships, even more than the Olympics. And when one is not 100 per cent prepared, it is next to impossible to win a medal there.”

“It's not easy to juggle between studies and sports but yes, if you are clear about your goals and have passion, you can definitely succeed.”