Rio Olympic bronze medalist Sakshi Malik has made a big statement that an Olympic medal changes the lives of athletes and society. Six wrestlers from India have qualified for the Paris Olympics. Including five women wrestlers Vinesh Phogat (50 kg), Anand Panghal (53 kg), Anshu Malik (57 kg), Nisha Dahiya (68 kg), and Ritika Hooda (76 kg).
Sakshi became the first woman wrestler to win an Olympic medal by bagging a bronze medal in Rio 2016. She is confident of Indian wrestlers winning at least one medal at the forthcoming Paris Olympics 2024. Furthermore, Malik helped to the rapid shift in everyone’s mentality towards women’s wrestling. She noted the difference in gender ratio in wrestling. With five female wrestlers qualifying for Paris 2024 compared to one male.
She announced her retirement from wrestling after major protests against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) head Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. As she along with others wanted to bring administrative change at the Wrestling Federation of India.
Sakshi Malik believes women wrestlers can win medals in Paris
In an interview, Sakshi Malik said, “In wrestling, we should get at least three medals, I feel this is going to be our best ever Olympics. The girls will perform better. The Olympics is not just a dream of an athlete, it is a dream of the entire family. Winning an Olympic medal not only changes an athlete’s life but also his life. Family, society, and village change.”
Sakshi Malik said, “After winning the medal eight years ago, there have been many changes in the sports infrastructure in her hometown Rohtak. Many important changes happened after I won the medal. The Chotu Ram Stadium in Rohtak has now been converted into an AC hall. A stadium has also been built in my village and it has been named after me.”
