Wrestler Sakshi Malik Wins Bronze, Opens Rio Olympics Medal Account For India

Finally, before the Rio 2016 Olympic Games wrap up, India has opened the account with wrestler Sakshi Malik. She has delivered the country’s first medal.

Malik grabbed a bronze after a gritty performance at the 58kg women’s wrestling category, becoming the first women to bring medal to India in this Olympics, first Indian female wrestler to get the title in the history of India’s participation in the Games, and fourth Indian woman to win an Olympic medal.

Talking to the media the 23-year-old said, “I never thought I would become the first woman wrestler from India to bag an Olympic medal in wrestling… I hope the remaining wrestlers will also do well.”

Born in the Indian state of Haryana, Malik started training young where women were not allowed to participate in wrestling events. She gained support from parents to pursue it.

At the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games she grabbed Silver medal and at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games she won a Bronze.

She added her Olympics medal is the result of here twelve years of dedication to the sport to which she had given her maximum and had never given up.

Her father said entire India now knows Sakshi Malik and people celebrating outside his house since night.

Sukhvir Malik added Sakshi was inspired for wrestling from her grandfather, who was himself a wrestler.

He mentioned further, “She trained extremely hard – day and night. She had promised me [she would] bring a medal and she has done that.”

Updated Medal Count (17th August)