Sakshi Malik: A Bronze Lining

The moment the clock struck 2:50 am in India, wrestler Sakshi Malik, the much-feted girl from Haryana, ended the country's medal drought by presenting the most beautiful Raksha Bandhan gift: the first medal — a bronze — in the ongoing Rio Games.

The 23-year-old, from Mokhra village near Rohtak, came back 0-5 down with vengeance to beat her opponent Aisuluu Tynybekova of Kyrgyzstan 8-5 in a sensational turnaround to end India's medal agony at Rio on Wednesday.

Sakshi's has won this elusive medal at a time when, as per a survey, some 37,000 pregnancies that would result in girl child in the world — because daughters are seen as a burden, particularly in her state — are terminated.
Having seen her best friend Vinesh Phogat being stretchered out after hurting her knee, it was not easy for Sakshi to keep her composure for the repechage bouts slated after a couple of hours.

Nevertheless, she came out and started her bid for the bronze in a superb fashion, defeating Orkhon Purevdorj of Mongolia 12-3 in the Repechage Round Two to move within striking distance of a medal.

The 23-year-old Haryana wrestler proved too superior for the 22-year-old Mongolian, never allowing her even a moment to settle down there. An hour-and-a-half later, she was again, back this time to fight the bout of her life.
The Kyrgyz opponent appeared confident and ready to start opening her account by scoring a penalty point against Sakshi for not making attacking moves.

She then rushed to 5-0 lead just after the half-way mark at the Carioca Arena 2 here, before the real fight started. Hearing encouraging shouts of her national coach Kuldeep Malik, to attack, Sakshi seemed recharged.

The Indian then made a brilliant comeback, turning a defensive position into an offensive one by bagging two points each in quick succession. With the momentum now in Sakshi's favour at 4-5, she continued to pile on the pressure by forcing her opponent out of mat area to draw level at 5-5.

With less than 90 seconds to go, both grapplers made one last attempt to get the medal. It was then that Sakshi and Tynybekova tried grabbing each other while pushing hard towards the outer area in search of that one winning point.

Tynybekova appeared to have an upper hand, having gripped Sakshi's leg, but the Indian had the last laugh as she countered her opponent with a smart grip from behind. The entire arena erupted in joy as the referee awarded two points to the Indian grappler.

Tynybekova was agitated and demanded a review of this entire move. And another point was added to Sakshi's kitty – as penalty – when the Kyrgyz protest was overruled by judges after watching replays.
There was a visible sigh of relief on the face of coach Malik, who has been with Sakshi for the last eight years.

"I told her at 0-5 that she should 'untwine' her fingers from the opponent. I knew her fingers were paining as they were bandaged after her initial bout," said Malik after the bout.

"I was sure that if I last for the entire six-minute duration, I will win a medal here. So, I didn't give it up at any stage. All that was going on in my mind was to win a medal," an elated Sakshi summed up her feelings afterwards.

"This is the first time that a medal has come for women. It's a success of my 12 years of dedication. My hard work has succeeded," she added.

Asked if her body hurt after gruelling four bouts in a single day, she said, "All my pain has subsided after this medal."

KNOW SAKSHI
Born: September 3, 1992; Rohtak, Haryana
Sport: Freestyle wrestling
Event: 58kg freestyle

Achievements
Year Event Medal
2016 Olympics Bronze
2015 Asian C'ships Bronze
2014 Commonwealth Games Silver
2013 Commonwealth C'ships Bronze

QUOTE
This is the first time that a medal has come for women. It's a success of my 12 years of dedication. My hard work has succeeded
--Sakshi Malik

N ZONE
12
India won their first medal in this Olympics on the 12th day of the Games

1
Sakshi Malik is the first Indian woman wrestler to win an Olympic medal

5
No. of medals wrestlers from India have now won at the Olympics

DID YOU KNOW?
KD Jadhav was the first wrestler from India to win a medal at the Olympics when he won bronze at the 1952 Helsinki Games

WOMEN MEDAL WINNERS FROM INDIA AT OLY
Athlete                                                 Sport                                  Year
Karnam Malleshwari                    Weightlifting                    2000 Sydney
MC Mary Kom                                 Boxing                             2012 London
Saina Nehwal                               Badminton                       2012 London
Sakshi Malik                                 Wrestling                           2016 Rio


COMEBACK GIRL
Throughout the day, Sakshi Malik was trailing in her bouts, and yet fought back every time to emerge victorious...
From 0-4 in qualification round to 5-4 win
From 0-3 in pre-quarterfinal to 5-5 win (on biggest point)
From 2-2 in first repechage round to 12-3 win
From 0-5 in bronze medal match to 8-5 win
 

WHAT IS REPECHAGE?
The word 'repechage' in French means 'second chance'. Below is the explanation of the rule that helped India bag their first medal in this Games

* According to the rules, wrestlers who crash out in the Round of 16 to the two eventual finalist take part in the repechage round for a bronze medal
* Sakshi entered the repechage round after Russia's Valeriia Koblova, whom the Indian lost to in the quarterfinal, entered the final
* There are two bronze medals at stake, one each for the best opponent of the two finalists. A wrestler has to win two repechage bouts in order to grab the bronze
* Sakshi defeated Orkhon Purevdorj of Mongolia in her first repechage round before coming back to win bronze after edging past Aisuluu Tynybekova of Kyrgyzstan

Repechage relief for India

Both Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt won their bronze medals, in 2008 Beijing and 2012 London, respectively, via repechage rounds