In keeping with the sports policy of the state government, Sakshi Malik will be awarded a cash prize of Rs 2.50 crore.
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This is the year of Indian women at the Olympics. “So proud of her”.
“There were many people who used to tell me in the beginning that she is a girl and why are you putting her in wrestling, “Sudesh told the press”. There are already 100-150 women wrestlers waiting in the akaras (wrestling academies) in Haryana.
Immediately her global career started with silver medal in July 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, back to back she crashed out quarterfinal at World Wrestling Championship in Tashkent.
But Sakshi – who has previously shown a knack of staging strong comebacks – was a totally transformed grappler in the second round, taking eight consecutive points to send the sizable number of Indian fans in the stands into wild delirium.
Sindhu will take on Spain’s Carolina Marin in the final later in the day in her bid to become the first Indian shuttler to win a Gold or Silver medal in the prestigious quadrennial event.
After becoming the first Indian to win a medal in the Rio Olympics, Sakshi Malik had been showered with rewards and praises from various government institutions.
Anil Kapoor: Congratulations Sakshi Malik! Entire nation is rejoicing on your achievement.
He said, “Sakshi Malik has done Haryana and the country proud by opening India’s account in the medals tally in the Olympics at Rio in Brazil”. Her family always supported her to pursue her dream. She took her opponent down again to make it 5-all and then with around 16 seconds left on the clock she flipped over Tynybekova to get three points and build up an unbeatable 8-5 lead.
Several leaders including Haryana Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Sports minister Anil Vij, Finance Minister Captain Abhimanyu, former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda congratulated Sakshi for her historic feat.
Four years later, Sakshi won a gold at the Dave Schultz International Wrestling Tournament in 60kg and the biggest moment of her career came at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014 where she won a silver medal. She was trained under the guidance of Ishwar Dahiya at an Akhara in Chotu Ram Stadium. Also, neighbours, relatives, friends, fellow wrestlers and coaches converged at Sakshi’s home. She spent countless gruelling hours training with her coach, to successfully develop an arch in her foot.
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I saw her first match and it was a good dominating win. “She has done the country and us proud”. “My hard work has succeeded”, Sakshi said.
