Ritu Negi is an Indian Kabaddi player. She is the captain of the Indian team that won the gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Ritu Negi was born on Wednesday, 30 December 1992 (age 31 years; as of 2023) in Sharog village, in the Shillai area of Transgiri region in the Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh. Her zodiac sign is Capricorn. While at school, Ritu watched a few of the senior girls from a school play Kabaddi and got fascinated just watching them, which attracted her to Kabaddi. After completing her education in Sharog, she was selected for State Hostel Bilaspur during her 10th-class studies.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 6″
Weight (approx.): 60 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Figure Measurements (approx.): 34- 28- 34
Family
Ritu Negi belongs to a farming family in the Giripar region of Himachal Pradesh. [1]Himachal Headlines
Parents & Siblings
Ritu Negi’s father, Bhawan Singh Negi, was a PT teacher, and her mother is a homemaker. She has a brother named Lucky Negi.
Ritu Negi with her parents and Rohit Gulia
Ritu Negi with her family
Husband
Ritu Negi got married to Kabaddi player Rohit Gulia on 22 April 2022. [2]Amar Ujala
Ritu Negi’s wedding picture
Religion
Ritu Negi follows Hinduism.
Career
Sports Authority of India
During her 10th Standard, her Kabaddi coach from school took her for a selection trial at the Sports Authority of India in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, where she got selected. There, she trained for 9 years. During this time, she played both Junior and Senior Nationals. She won two Gold medals in the Junior Nationals for Sports Authority of India and won 5 Bronze medals in the senior nationals for Himachal Pradesh. In 2011, she was selected as the captain of the Indian Junior team and won a Gold medal.
South Central Railway
Ritu Negi caught the attention of a few senior coaches at an A-Grade tournament; she impressed them with her skills and her performance, so they directly offered her a job in the Indian Railways. In 2014, Ritu Negi joined the South Central branch of the Indian Railways (SCR). To become part of the women’s Kabaddi team of the South Central Railway, she cleared the selection trial. During her first match for the SCR, SCR won the tournaments; therefore, she was selected for the SCR Camp, and during her second tournament for SCR, she was selected for the Indian Railway Women Kabaddi Team for the Senior Nationals.
Ritu Negi (extreme left) during a Kabaddi tournament for South Central Railways
Indian National Senior Women Kabaddi Team
In 2017, Ritu Negi was selected for the Indian team camp for the Asian championship but did not make it to the final 12. In 2018, she was again selected to the camp for the Asian Games and this time she made it in the final 12 for the Indian team. In 2022, she became the captain of the women’s Kabaddi team that won the gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. [3]The Hindu
Ritu Negi during a match at the 2022 Asian Games
Awards
In December 2023, Ritu Negi was selected for the Arjuna Award. [4]Jagran Josh
Medals
Gold
- In 2019, she won a gold medal at the 2019 South Asian Games in Kathmandu, Nepal.
- In 2023, she won a gold medal at the 2022 South Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
Ritu Negi posing with her medal and the Indian Flag at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China
Silver
- In August 2018, she won a silver medal at the 2018 Asian Games in the Women’s Kabaddi tournament.
Favourites
- Kabaddi Player: Ajay Thakur, Fazel Athrachelli
- Film: Dangal (2016)
- Sport: Volleyball
- Actor: Salman Khan
- Actress: Kanagana Ranaut
Facts/Trivia
- Ritu Negi’s hobbies include watching films and listening to Punjabi music.
- In October 2023, she was given a cash prize of Rs. 3 Crores by the Haryana government for her performance at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
- In December 2023, Ritu Negi became the first woman Kabaddi player to win the Arjuna Award from Himachal Pradesh. In an interview, she talked about winning the award and said that she never imagined that she would win the Arjuna Award. She said,
It’s a dream of every sportsperson to get the Arjuna Award. When we received the news, we all were so happy that we started crying, and the fact that I will be the first woman kabaddi player from the state to receive the award makes the feat even more special for me. After winning the gold in the Asian Games, I was hopeful of my selection for the award but was not sure. I thought this was my best chance as no one knows how things turn out in the future. So, I am extremely happy and proud to make the cut.” [5]The Tribune
References
| ↑1 | Himachal Headlines |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | Amar Ujala |
| ↑3 | The Hindu |
| ↑4 | Jagran Josh |
| ↑5 | The Tribune |
