Sakshi Malik performance in the Rio Olympics was all about fightbacks and the will to etch her name down in the history books. After 12 days of nothing but feeling of hopelessness, the Haryana wrestler won a bronze medal in women’s 58kg freestyle. She became overnight hero miles aways in India after becoming the first women wrestler to win an Olympic medal. It was a perfect underdog story who became a sporting icon. Putting it in perspective, Sakshi’s medal was enough to booth the confidence of Indian camp to the level where it for the first time got double digits in medals tally — best ever in the quadrennial event.
Knowing Sakshi’s talent, everybody in wrestling circles expected her to give off her best in the Olympics, but hardly reckoned that she would win a medal. “To be honest, I gave Sakshi 40 per cent chance (of winning a medal). I thought if she fought fearlessly, then she could get a good result. In my assessment, Vinesh Phogat had a better chance of winning a medal.
However, Vinesh got injured. It was a big blow to India’s hopes for a medal. Sakshi recalling the incident said, “When she got injured everybody was stunned. We did not see it coming. Our coach Kuldeep had tears in his eyes. But he realised that it would affect our morale so he held the emotions back”.
Sakshi, no doubt, was always overshadowed by the more famous Geeta Phogat, who dominated the 58kg weight class in the country. But Geeta’s stronghold was shaken after she pulled out of the first Olympic qualifiers due to last-minute injury. The decision irked Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) so much that they slapped a temporary ban on the wrestler. Her fall meant rise of Sakshi.
The girl from Rohtak, who was inspired by her wrestler grandfather to pursue the sport at the Chaudhary Chhoturam Academy in 2004, had finally come of age. Following Geeta’s act of indiscipline in an Olympic qualifying event, Sakshi got the chance and she grabbed the opportunity by securing a berth for the Rio Games.
HER PERFORMANCE IN RIO was all about tremendous fightbacks, including the bronze medal match against the Asian champion, Aisuluu Tynybekova of Kyrgyzstan. It reminded one of a lesser-known Sushil Kumar’s bronze medal-winning effort in Beijing 2008.
The first Indian woman wrestler to win an Olympic medal, Sakshi, whose father is a bus conductor, gave the country its fifth wrestling medal and fourth in the last three editions of the Olympics. A post-graduate in physical education, Sakshi joined an extraordinary generation of sportswomen — including Sania Mirza, Saina Nehwal, P. V. Sindhu, Mary Kom and Dipa Karmakar — who have made the country proud in elite sporting events.
Cut forward to 2020 August, Sakshi is eyeing to repeat her exploits in Tokyo Olympics and maybe become Sushil Kumar of Indian women wrestling.