Ritu Negi is an Indian kabaddi player who has become one of the most experienced names in the women’s game. Born in Sharog village in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh, she moved from playing kabaddi at school level to representing India on some of the biggest international stages. She has played as a right-corner defender and has also taken leadership roles for Indian teams at junior and senior levels.

Her career includes a silver medal at the 2018 Asian Games, gold at the 2019 South Asian Games, gold at the 2022 Asian Games held in 2023, a World Cup title in 2025 and a second Asian Games gold in 2026. At Aichi-Nagoya in September 2026, India beat Iran 37-34 in the women’s final. She also received the Arjuna Award for 2023 from the President of India in January 2024.

Ritu Negi has also built a long domestic career with Indian Railways. Before reaching the senior international level, she spent years in junior and senior national competitions and won medals for Himachal Pradesh. Her career shows how a player can rise through school, state, national and railway competitions before becoming an India captain.

Ritu Negi Biography 

Details Information
Full Name Ritu Negi
Profession Indian Kabaddi Player
Date of Birth 30 May 1992
Birthplace Sharog village, Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh
Nationality Indian
Playing Position Right Corner Defender
Team Indian Railways
International Team India
Husband Rohit Gulia
Marriage Date 22 April 2022
Major Award Arjuna Award 2023
International Gold Medals Asian Games (2022 edition and 2026), South Asian Games, Women’s Kabaddi World Cup
Hobbies Watching films and listening to Punjabi music
Net Worth Not officially disclosed

 

Early Life of Ritu Negi

Ritu Negi was born on 30 May 1992 in Sharog village in the Shillai area of Sirmaur district, Himachal Pradesh. She grew up in a family where sports were close to her life, with her father Bhawan Singh Negi reported as a physical training teacher. Her early years were spent in a rural part of Himachal Pradesh where sports facilities were not as easily available as they are in big cities.

Her interest in kabaddi started when she was still in school. According to biographical accounts, she saw senior girls playing kabaddi during a school event and became interested in the sport. Instead of treating it as only a school activity, she slowly started taking training more seriously.

After completing her early schooling in her village, Ritu studied at Government Senior Secondary School, Shillai. During her 10th-standard years, she was selected for the state hostel in Bilaspur. This move gave her access to better sporting facilities and regular training.

Ritu then spent around nine years training at the Sports Authority of India setup in Bilaspur while also competing in junior and senior national events. During that period, she won two gold medals in the Junior Nationals and five bronze medals in the Senior Nationals for Himachal Pradesh, according to published player profiles.

Ritu Negi’s Domestic Kabaddi Career

Ritu Negi’s domestic career started at a young age. One report says she first played at the national level for Himachal Pradesh in the 2007 National Championship in Haridwar. From there, she continued playing in state and national competitions and gradually became a regular name in Indian domestic kabaddi.

Her years at the Sports Authority of India were important because she got the chance to compete in both junior and senior tournaments. The medals she won for Himachal Pradesh gave her more experience and helped her move closer to the Indian junior setup. Her progress was not limited to one tournament, as she continued playing national competitions over several years.

In 2011, Ritu was selected as captain of the Indian junior women’s kabaddi team. India won the gold medal at the Junior Asian Championship in Malaysia that year. Becoming a junior captain at that stage of her career also gave her early experience of leading a national team.

Ritu later came into the Indian Railways system after being noticed by senior coaches during an A-Grade kabaddi tournament. She was selected for the South Central Railway women’s kabaddi team and joined the South Central department of Indian Railways in 2014.

Indian Railways became a major part of her domestic career. She played in the Senior Nationals for the railway team and was part of strong Indian Railways sides in national competitions. In the 67th Senior National Kabaddi Championship, the Indian Railways women’s team won the title, with Ritu Negi scoring six tackle points against Punjab and eight tackle points in the semi-final against Jharkhand.

These performances show the defensive role Ritu has played for Indian Railways. In recent national-team squad lists, including the 2026 Asian Games squad, she has been listed as a right-corner player from Indian Railways.

Ritu Negi’s International Career

Ritu Negi’s journey in international kabaddi began with the junior Indian team before she became part of the senior national setup. Her first major senior Asian Games appearance came at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, where India won the silver medal in women’s kabaddi. Ritu was part of that Indian team.

The 2018 tournament was a major stage in her career. The Indian women’s team reached the final but finished with the silver medal. Ritu’s appearance in the squad came after years of domestic competition and training, and the tournament became an important step in her senior international journey.

In 2019, Ritu was part of the Indian women’s team at the South Asian Games in Kathmandu, Nepal. India won the gold medal, adding another international title to her career. The official Arjuna Award citation also lists this gold medal among her important achievements.

Her biggest leadership role at the Asian level came at the 2022 Asian Games, which were delayed and eventually held in Hangzhou in 2023. Ritu Negi was appointed captain of the Indian women’s kabaddi team. India defeated Chinese Taipei 26-25 in the final on 7 October 2023 to win the gold medal.

The Hangzhou gold was especially important because Ritu was captain of the side. She was part of a team that secured India’s third women’s kabaddi gold medal at the Asian Games. She had already been part of the silver-medal side in 2018, so the move from silver to gold added an important chapter to her international career.

Ritu continued in an important leadership role at the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup 2025 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She captained India in the tournament, while Pushpa Rana was the vice-captain. India defeated Chinese Taipei 35-28 in the final to win the title, with the Indian team finishing the tournament unbeaten.

The World Cup victory added another major international title to Ritu’s career. At the same time, the tournament showed that she remained part of India’s senior team after several years at the top level. Her experience continued to be useful in a squad containing players from different domestic teams and states.

Ritu Negi Wins Second Asian Games Gold (2026)

Ritu Negi was part of India’s 12-member women’s kabaddi squad for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. She was listed as a right-corner defender from Indian Railways. Pushpa Rana was named captain for the Games, and Ritu played as one of the senior members of the team.

The kabaddi event was held from 21 to 26 September 2026 at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium. India beat Bangladesh 42-21, Iran 37-23 and Japan 50-25 in the group stage, and then beat Nepal 48-24 in the semi-final.

In the final on 26 September 2026, India beat Iran 37-34 to retain the gold medal. India led 22-16 at half-time before Iran closed the gap in the second half. It was India’s fourth women’s kabaddi gold at the Asian Games.

With this win, Ritu has played at three Asian Games in a row and won two gold medals and one silver. After the final, she dedicated the medal to her countrymen and said the team felt a responsibility to keep the gold won at the previous Games.

Ritu Negi’s Personal Life

Ritu Negi is married to Rohit Gulia, who is also a kabaddi player from Haryana. The couple got married on 22 April 2022. Reports about the wedding said that Ritu had only a short break because the Indian team was in camp at the time.

Rohit Gulia is a professional kabaddi player and has played at the national level. The fact that both husband and wife are involved in kabaddi has made the sport an important part of their family life. Public reports mainly focus on their sporting careers rather than sharing many private details about their relationship.

Because Ritu is married, there is no reliable basis for describing her as currently having a boyfriend. Her publicly reported marital status is married, and her husband is Rohit Gulia.

Ritu Negi’s Hobbies

Information about Ritu Negi’s life away from kabaddi is limited in public sources. One player biography lists watching films and listening to Punjabi music among her hobbies. These details have been repeated by online profiles, although she has not publicly discussed every part of her personal routine in detail.

Ritu Negi Education

Ritu Negi completed her early schooling in Himachal Pradesh before moving to the Bilaspur sports hostel during her school years. She continued her education alongside her sporting training and is reported to have completed graduation during her years at the sports setup.

Balancing education with high-level sports was an important part of her development. Her journey also shows the role that sports hostels and training centres can play for players coming from smaller towns and villages.

Ritu Negi’s Arjuna Award

In December 2023, Ritu Negi was selected for the Arjuna Award for Outstanding Performance in Sports and Games 2023. The official citation from the President of India records her gold medals at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou and the 2019 South Asian Games in Kathmandu as key reasons for the honour.

The award was formally presented by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 9 January 2024. Ritu received the award after leading India to the Asian Games gold medal in Hangzhou.

She has also been reported as the first woman kabaddi player from Himachal Pradesh to receive the Arjuna Award. Her recognition gave her a place among Indian sportspersons honoured by the national sports awards.

Ritu Negi’s Cash Awards and Financial Recognition

Ritu received major financial rewards following India’s Asian Games gold medal in 2023. The Haryana government awarded her ₹3 crore and a job offer, because she is married in Haryana and was eligible under the state’s reward system.

The Himachal Pradesh government also honoured the state’s women kabaddi players after the Asian Games. Reports said Ritu received a ₹15 lakh cash award from the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister for her medal-winning performance.

After the 2026 Asian Games gold, the Himachal Pradesh government raised its cash award for the state’s women kabaddi players from ₹33 lakh to ₹1 crore each. Ritu’s name was at first missing from the list of players, and reports linked this to her marriage outside the state. In October 2026, the state Cabinet decided to give ₹1 crore each to Ritu and three other Himachal players, Pushpa Rana, Jyoti Thakur and Bhavna Thakur.

These cash awards are separate from her salary and do not represent her total personal wealth. There is no reliable official public record that gives a confirmed figure for Ritu Negi’s total net worth.

Ritu Negi Net Worth

Ritu Negi’s exact net worth has not been officially disclosed. Various websites may publish estimated figures, but these estimates are not supported by audited financial records or an official statement from Ritu Negi, Indian Railways or the Indian kabaddi federation.

What is publicly documented is that she has worked with Indian Railways since 2014 and has received major sports-related cash rewards, including the ₹3 crore Haryana award and the ₹15 lakh Himachal Pradesh award after the 2023 Asian Games, and the ₹1 crore award approved by the Himachal Pradesh Cabinet after the 2026 Asian Games.

Ritu Negi Overall Career Stats and Achievements

Because complete match-by-match international kabaddi statistics for Ritu Negi are not available in one official public database, a medal and tournament-based table is more reliable than inventing a total of tackles or matches.

Year Tournament Team/Level Result / Achievement
2007 National Championship, Haridwar Himachal Pradesh First reported national-level appearance
Junior Career Junior Nationals Himachal Pradesh/SAI 2 Gold Medals
Senior Domestic Career Senior Nationals Himachal Pradesh 5 Bronze Medals reported
2011 Junior Asian Championship, Malaysia India Junior Team Gold Medal; Captain
2018 Asian Games, Jakarta-Palembang India Silver Medal
2019 South Asian Games, Kathmandu India Gold Medal
2020 67th Senior National Championship Indian Railways Indian Railways won title; 6 tackle points in a pool match and 8 in semi-final
2023 Asian Games, Hangzhou India Gold Medal; Captain
2024 Arjuna Award ceremony India Arjuna Award 2023
2025 Women’s Kabaddi World Cup, Dhaka India Gold Medal; Captain
2026 Asian Games, Aichi-Nagoya India Gold Medal (final: India 37-34 Iran)

Ritu Negi Facts

Ritu Negi has a number of interesting facts connected with her kabaddi journey. She came from Sharog village in Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh, and started playing after watching senior girls compete at school. She later moved to the Bilaspur sports hostel, where she spent years training and competing in national tournaments.

She became captain of the Indian junior team in 2011 and led the side to gold at the Junior Asian Championship in Malaysia. Years later, she became captain of the senior Indian women’s team and led India to gold at the Asian Games in Hangzhou.

Ritu has also had a long association with Indian Railways. She joined the South Central department in 2014 and has represented Indian Railways in major domestic competitions. The railway team became one of the main stages of her senior domestic career.

She was part of India’s silver-medal team at the 2018 Asian Games before becoming captain of the gold-medal team at the 2023-held Hangzhou Asian Games. In 2025, she added another international gold as captain when India won the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup in Dhaka.

In September 2026, Ritu Negi won her second Asian Games gold in Japan, where India beat Iran 37-34 in the final under captain Pushpa Rana. It was her third Asian Games in a row after the silver in 2018 and the gold as captain at Hangzhou.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Ritu Negi?

Ritu Negi is an Indian women's kabaddi player from Himachal Pradesh who plays as a right-corner defender for Indian Railways. She captained India to Asian Games gold at Hangzhou and won a second Asian Games gold in 2026.

Who is Ritu Negi's husband?

Ritu Negi is married to Rohit Gulia, a kabaddi player from Haryana.

When did Ritu Negi get married?

Ritu Negi married Rohit Gulia on 22 April 2022. She had only a short break for the wedding because the Indian team was in camp.

What is Ritu Negi's date of birth?

Ritu Negi was born on 30 May 1992.

Which village is Ritu Negi from?

She was born in Sharog village in the Shillai area of Sirmaur district, Himachal Pradesh.

What position does Ritu Negi play?

Ritu Negi plays as a right-corner defender. She represents Indian Railways in domestic kabaddi.

Did Ritu Negi win gold at the 2026 Asian Games?

Yes. She was part of India's women's kabaddi team that beat Iran 37-34 in the final on 26 September 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Was Ritu Negi the captain at the 2026 Asian Games?

No. Pushpa Rana captained India at the 2026 Asian Games. Ritu Negi, who led India to gold at Hangzhou, played as one of the senior members of the team.

When did Ritu Negi receive the Arjuna Award?

She received the Arjuna Award for 2023 from President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 9 January 2024.

Did Ritu Negi get the Himachal Pradesh Rs 1 crore award?

Her name was at first missing from the list after the 2026 Asian Games. In October 2026, the Himachal Pradesh Cabinet decided to give Rs 1 crore each to her and three other Himachal players.