Wrestler Ritika Phogat, cousin of Geeta Phogat, allegedly commits suicide

According to the Haryana police, wrestler Ritika Phogat allegedly committed suicide.

Wrestler Ritika Phogat, cousin of champion wrestlers Geeta and Babita Phogat, died allegedly by committing suicide on Monday night, Haryana police said. She had been staying at the residence of Geeta and Babita to be trained by her uncle Mahavir Phogat. According to The Tribune, Ritika had gone to sleep in her room on Monday night and was found hanging from a ceiling fan on Tuesday morning, the sources added.

Mahavir Phogat, a Dronacharya awardee runs a wrestling academy where he also trained his daughters. Reportedly, the 17-year-old was depressed about losing the final wrestling tournament by a narrow margin that had been held recently in Rajasthan. Ritika had participated in a state competition that was held at Bharatpur between March 12 and 14, reported NDTV. Her cousin, Harvindra Phogat said that the family is in a state of deep shock. 

Geeta Phogat won first gold medal in wrestling at the 2010 Commonwealth Games which was also the first ever gold for the country in wrestling. She even qualified for Olympics in 2012 and became first Indian woman wrestler to do so. Similarly, her younger sister, Babita Phogat won silver at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and a gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. She also won a bronze at the 2012 World Wrestling Championships.