'Our neighbours said nobody would marry us women wrestlers'

Geeta Phogat created history when she became the first-ever Indian woman wrestler to qualify for the London Olympics. Previously, Phogat, who wrestles in the 55 kg category, won gold at the FILA Asian Olympic qualification tournament in Kazakhstan this year, having also won gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games held in Delhi.
Speaking with Arun Sharma, Phogat explained how she got into the male-dominated world of wrestling, the rigorous training involved - and the tough economic and social challenges she and her four sisters faced as they excelled in their sport:
How did you become interested in wrestling?
I was born into a family of wrestlers in Bhiwani, Haryana.All my four sisters are top wrestlers. I started my initial training at the age of 12 under the guidance of my father, the renowned wrestler Mahavir Singh. He motivated all five of us to take up this sport. Ever since, there's been no looking back. My younger sister Babita also made it to the Indian squad in the 48 kg category. She too won silver at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
Wrestling is a sport traditionally dominated by men - was being a female wrestler hard?
Well, my parents gave full support to me and my sisters. But when my sisters took training from my father, we were ridiculed by the community. Our neighbours even said nobody would marry us women wrestlers because we would have cauliflower ears, a common condition among wrestlers where often the outer ear is swollen.
You hail from the state of Haryana which has produced many male wrestlers - did the state government offer your family any special training or encouragement?
I didn't get any particular boost from the state government. We actually couldn't even afford the international-standard wrestling mats in my village...
Please tell us about your initial and current training?
Today's training is a far cry from my initial days in the sport. Then, i got training in an enclosure adjoining a cattle shed in my village home. There was no roof in the place where my sisters and i trained. The earth used to get very hot during the day and equally cold during the evening...we had mud bouts with boys to hone our skills. My dad used to keep a stick. If i was late even by a minute in the morning, i used to get beaten up.
Now, the training is in a fully equipped, air-conditioned gym at Asia's largest sports institute, the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports, which houses a palace built by the erstwhile Maharaja of Patiala. Here, i have a rigorous training schedule each day including three sessions comprising gym, weightlifting, running and jumping, all supervised by Indian coach O P Yadav.
How are you feeling about the upcoming Olympics - and your chances?
I am both excited and nervous about the Olympics as the tournament is in London - a city i have never seen before. But i am training hard and before the Olympics, i'll be accompanying the team on a 45-day trip to the US and Belarus. I'll be able to train there with wrestlers from Japan and Korea...I am quite confident and also more experienced and mature in my approach now.
Do you have a sporting role model?
Of course - my father, Mahavir Singh.
You've been through hardships for your sport - what's your aim ahead?
My target is a London Olympics gold.