CHENNAI: When Sakshi Malik won a historic bronze at the carnival in Rio de Janeiro five years ago – becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to claim an Olympic medal – she had lifted the pall of gloom that engulfed India’s wrestling contingent after a largely disappointing campaign. There was the controversy of Narsingh Yadav returning home for doping just before the event while Vinesh Phogat limped out of her quarterfinal clash due to a knee injury. The inability to carry on had left Vinesh in tears, a sight that Sakshi was witness to.
Vinesh now returns as a near certainty to win a medal in the 53 kg category, considering her top-ranked status in her field. She is also in a rich vein of form with three gold medals in as many competitions this year. If Vinesh can end up on the podium, Sakshi will be incredibly pleased even if she is not there in Tokyo herself.
“Vinesh is extremely strong. She will win a medal without a doubt this time and can win in 2024 too if she continues in this vein. There is no need to give her any tips. She has won gold in a lot of competitions that she has played over the last year. Her time has come now. She has been waiting for this moment for five years. And she has been working towards this for many years,” Sakshi said during a virtual media interaction on Tuesday.
While Vinesh is a strong contender, Sakshi believes there will be more medals coming India’s way. She has predicted a total of four medals in wrestling – Bajrang Punia (65kg) and Ravi Dahiya (57kg) are also certainties according to the 28-year-old while 19-year-old Anshu Malik may spring a surprise.
“It is our strongest wrestling contingent ever. I am definitely expecting four medals. I would say Bajrang, Ravi and Vinesh are certainties to win medals. And Anshu could spring a surprise,” she observed.
For that to happen, the key will be to not get overawed by the aura of the Olympic stage. Most of India’s wrestlers have been doing consistently well in world and continental events. It is easier said than done of course, but Sakshi hopes that they are able to overcome whatever apprehensions there might be.
“I would tell the wrestlers not to fear. In Rio, I was not at all scared even for one of the matches. My confidence just kept increasing as I started doing well. I would tell them all to overcome their fear and give their best,” was Sakshi’s tip to the grapplers.
Even as Sakshi will have to be content with watching the athletes go about their business in Tokyo, her own ambitions still burn bright. She is aware of the areas she needs to work on and is hoping to make a strong comeback ahead of the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games next year.
“In an athlete’s life, there are ups and downs. We cannot perform like machines. The matches I have lost have been due to slip-ups in the last 5-10 seconds. That is the thing I am working on. I will ensure I work on these things to do better in the future.”
Sakshi Malik will be part of Sony Sports LIVE studio show, SPORTS EXTRAAA
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