CHANDIGARH: India’s star wrestler
Bajrang Punia got engaged to the youngest of the famous
Phogat sisters
, Sangeeta, in Sonipat on Sunday. TOI was the first to report about the couple in its August 8, 2019 edition. Bajrang and Sangeeta have been dating for close to three years now.
Sangeeta’s father, Mahavir Phogat along with his daughters Geeta and Ritu, son Dushyant and Geeta’s husband Pawan Kumar, went to Bajrang’s home in Sonipat’s Model Town on Sunday for the ‘roka’ ceremony. The Phogats hail from
Charkhi Dadri
’s Balali village. As part of the ritual, Bajrang was given a ceremonial amount by the Phogats and a ‘teeka’ ceremony was performed under the guidance of a priest.
Mahavir Phogat blesses Bajrang Punia after he got engaged to his daughter Sangeeta in Sonipat
Bajrang to take ₹1 as shagun, 8 ‘pheras’After the completion of the ceremony, Bajrang Punia was blessed by Mahavir Phogat and his wife Daya Kaur.
Bajrang’s father Balwan Punia, his mother, and some close relatives were present on the occasion.
“On my part, I can say that I am a happy man. I have never stopped my daughters from choosing their respective life partners,” Mahavir Phogat told TOI. “Both the families are extremely happy with the alliance,” he added.
TOI has reliably learnt that the wedding is bound to take place after the Tokyo Olympics next year. Bajrang, a big medal hope for the country at next year’s Olympics, is solely focused on his training for the marquee event.
A friend close of Bajrang said the wrestler has decided to take eight ‘pheras’ instead of the regular seven. The eighth ‘phera’ will encourage the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ movement. It is also learnt that Bajrang will take just Rs 1 as ‘shagun’ amount to set an example for others to follow.
After achieving fame in wrestling, the Phogat sisters are now getting married — Geeta got married in 2016 to wrestler Pawan Kumar and India’s top woman wrestler
Vinesh Phogat, a niece of Mahavir Phogat, married national-level grappler Somveer Rathi in 2018.
Babita, who made a foray into politics this year, is scheduled to wed fellow wrestler Vivek Suhag on December 1. Olympic medalist Sakshi Malik too is married to a wrestler, Satyawart Kadian.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.Hindol Basu is a Principal Correspondent with the The Times of In...
Read MoreHindol Basu is a Principal Correspondent with the The Times of India. Over the years, as a sports journalist, Hindol has covered important events like the 2012 London Olympics, 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2010 Commonwealth Games and the 2011 Cricket World Cup. Hindol has had a diverse profile having worked in all forms of media - TV, Radio, New Media and Print. Besides, being an avid blogger, Hindol plays the guitar, writes poetry and is interested in photography.
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