“To those who told me I am a girl and couldn’t wrestle, I want to say please show some trust, girls can do everything.”
-Sakshi Malik, Indian wrestler
Wrestling is a sport involving the hand-to-hand combat of two people with nearly equal weight. This sport dates back to the times of the epics The Ramayana and the Mahabharata. It was then considered a sport introduced to keep men active and for them to be physically strong to be able to face any situation that they might encounter. Back at the time of its origin, it was called ‘malla-yuddha’. In India, it is called by names like ‘dangal’, ‘kushti’ and ‘pehlwani’. This sport has grown so much over the years and gained popularity to such an extent that it is now a sport played in the Olympics and the commonwealth games. Earlier it was played only by men but today women take part in this sport too. Many Indian women have represented India and also won numerous medals for the country in wrestling. One of them is Sakshi Malik- a rising star of India and the first woman wrestler of India to win a medal at the Olympics.
Sakshi was born on 3rd September, 1992 to a family in Rohtak, Haryana. When she was aged 8, she saw a picture of a woman wrestler holding a Hanuman Ji’s Mace on her shoulder. That is when inspiration struck her. She knew what she wanted to do with her life. Haryana has one of the weakest sex ratios in India and that indicates the mindset of people in Haryana. Sakshi was blessed to have parents who truly supported her and wanted her to go ahead with her dream. Her grandfather always wanted a wrestler in the family, so that just added fuel to Sakshi’s fire of wanting to become a wrestler. Her journey was not easy at all though. To start with she had neighbours who raised eyebrows at her learning wrestling. They even warned her parents that wrestling reduced the femininity of a girl and made her more masculine which would prove to be a very major hurdle while getting her married. Her parents did not care and constantly supported Sakshi. Sakshi never let any of this negativity get to her and she continuously worked hard for 12 years. Finally, all her efforts paid off in the 2016 Rio Olympics. When she left for the Rio Olympics very few people knew about her. Even in her interviews she never promised a medal. This is why when she won the bronze it was a huge surprise for many Indians. Her tears were unstoppable when she saw the Indian flag being raised and heard the national anthem being played. She has a never-give-up spirit which has paved the way for her to reach the top. Till the very last second of her wrestling bouts, all that goes on in her mind is “This match has to end with my victory.” Sakshi recently won a gold medal in the ongoing Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. This is another medal to her glory after about 6 years of the Olympic medal.
Sakshi has proven to be an inspiration and role model to millions of girls in India, empowering them to fight through all barriers and accomplish their dream. She teaches us to never let go of our dreams just because it seems too hard. She is a true living example of where there is a will there's a way. As India completes 75 years of its independence by celebrating Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, Sakshi Malik has truly made India proud and shown everyone what the true taste of hard work is like.
Bibliography:
Dabas, Maninder. “Sakshi Malik Raised India’s Flag At Rio 2016. This Is Her Story, Of Her Struggles And Her Journey To The Olympics.” IndiaTimes. 18 Aug, 2016. Web. 6 Aug, 2022. <www.indiatimes.com/sports/rio-olympics/from-hanuman-ji-s-mace-to-giving-up-her-feminine-softness-here-s-rio-bronze-medallist-sakshi-malik-s-inspiring-story-260184.html>
Desk, Sports. “Watch: CWG 2022 Gold-Medallist Sakshi Malik Gets Emotional as She Hears National Anthem on Top Podium Spot.” TimesNow. 6 Aug. 2022. Web. 6 Aug, 2022. <www.timesnownews.com/sports/watch-cwg-2022-gold-medallist-sakshi-malik-gets-emotional-as-she-hears-national-anthem-on-top-podium-spot-article-93386179.>
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