Sakshi Malik

Event Description

Sakshi Malik's historic rise in Indian sports is a testament to years of grueling hard work, intense discipline, and an unyielding spirit. Growing up in Mokhra village, Haryana—a region where wrestling was deeply stereotyped as a male-only domain—she had to fight entrenched societal norms from the age of 12 just to step onto the mat. Training under coach Ishwar Dahiya at an akhara in Rohtak, she routinely wrestled boys due to a lack of female sparring partners, while her coach faced fierce backlash from locals for teaching her. To reach elite physical conditioning, Sakshi endured a relentless daily routine that included 500 sit-ups alongside hours of exhaustive tactical training, all while maintaining a strict, carb-free liquid diet for long periods to make weight. Her path was paved with immense financial and emotional hurdles, but her stubborn perseverance turned adversity into a historic launching pad.

Summary

These decades of relentless dedication culminated in groundbreaking international achievements that altered the landscape of Indian wrestling forever. Her crowning glory came at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where she scripted an unforgettable comeback from a 0–5 deficit in the final seconds of her repechage bout to become the first Indian female wrestler to win an Olympic medal.

Award Details

Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna (2016)