Couples whose love for sports united them

Mona

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A couple that plays together stays together - this seems to be the dictum ruling the sports world! In December last year, two sports couples - shuttlers Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap, and wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Somvir Rathee – got married. Come 2019 and it’s now Sangeeta, one among the famous Phogat sisters, who is set to marry fellow wrestler Bajrang Punia. The wedding, however, will take place after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Constant training and travelling, stress and strain, the world of sports stars is challenging, so does a life partner who has been through the same lanes makes it easy? Well, going by the glittering list, it sure looks like that!

“Marrying within the sports fraternity helps, as understanding is more and then your children become sportspersons too!” says flying Sikh Milkha Singh. For over sixty years, he has been maried to Nirmal Saini, who represented the Indian women’s volleyball team.  They are parents to famous golfer Jeev Milkha Singh. 

Power packed

Wrestling seems to be Phogat girls’ first love, on the akhara and even outside it! While Sangeeta Phogat has chosen her partner from the same field, her sister Geeta and cousin Vinesh are married to wrestlers Pawan Kumar and Somvir Rathee, respectively. Geeta’s sister Babita is set to marry Bharat Kesari Vivek Suhag in December. Sakshi Malik and Satyawart Kadian is another star couple from Haryana winning laurels for the country in the wrestling arena.

Calling it the ‘best match’ of their life, Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap got netizens’ admiration in 2018 for the ‘simple’ wedding, which had only 40 guests from both sides! However, when tennis star Sania Mirza chose to cross borders for love, it didn’t come easy. This fairytale love story had its share of admirers, as also haters. Married to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, Sania is now mother to almost one-year-old son Izhaan!

Cricketers Ishant Sharma and Dinesh Kartik chose their partners from the sports field too. While Sharma’s wife Pratima Singh is a basketball player; Kartik found love second time around in Indian squash player Dipika Pallikal.

When love blossoms

Love blossoms not only amongst the players, sometimes coaches take the lead too! Shooter Hina Sidhu is married to Ronak Pandit, who is also her coach. Boxer Mary Kom and footballer Karung Onkholer Kom’s love story has made it from the sports arena to the screen. This power couple is raising their twin sons. Well, going by our Flying Sikh, raising sport stars, may be?

Birds of The same flock...

That three Phogat sisters and one cousin have chosen life partners in wrestling is a sanyog, according to Olympian Geeta Phogat, and also a happy coincidence! “It’s like doctors marrying doctors or lawyers tying the knot with lawyers. Being from the same field makes understanding each other much easier.” With whole life geared towards training and tournaments, there is little time to look beyond sports. “It works to be in the same game, as tournaments and camps take one away from home for long.  To have your partner around works well. With Pawan, her husband, discussions revolve around wrestling all the time. She adds, “Say if a ‘pahalwan’ marries a doctor, I doubt they would have much to say to each other. A topic interesting for one might be boring for the other!” 

mona@tribunemail.com