Dramatic rise, painful dip, and redemption at last: CWG gold medallist Sakshi Malik's story

The 2016 Olympic bronze medallist clinched gold in dramatic fashion

Even before stepping on to the top of the podium, the floodgate of emotions waiting to break out were evident on Sakshi Malik’s face.

The the 29-year-old held on until she couldn’t hold back the tears any more when the national anthem began playing at the Coventry Arena - the venue for wrestling events at the ongoing Commonwealth Games.

The 2016 Olympic bronze medallist had, a few moments earlier, clinched the gold in a dramatic fashion. Trailing 0-4, the grappler from Rohtak in Haryana turned the match on its head by pinning down Canada’s Ana Paula Godinez Gonzalez with her signature double-leg attack.

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“I have won many silver and bronze medals. But this is the first time I have won gold at a multi-disciplinary event,” said Sakshi who has a silver from 2014 Glasgow and a bronze from 2018 Gold Coast - the previous two editions of the CWG. “To watch the flag go up as the national anthem plays is a surreal experience, something I have waited for a long, long time. It is a dream of every athlete,” she added.

A win she said tasted sweeter following bouts of failed attempts to reach her peak. After the high of Rio Olympics, Sakshi saw her career heading nowhere. Fear of failure gripped the wrestler, resulting in her losing to juniors.

That was the proverbial last straw that broke the camel’s back.

“There were some tough times, especially in the last two years. Though my physical fitness, power and speed were at a good level, I wasn’t motivated enough. Losses in the domestic circuit made me question my intent,” she recollected.

This was when Sakshi realised that she was in a now-or-never situation and decided to begin from scratch. Her first big test was the CWG trials where she beat Sonam Malik to make it to the Indian squad.

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“The trials were a big challenge. Just making it to the team helped me get out of the mental rut and the losing spree I was caught in,” said Sakshi.

Having now lived up to her own expectations and having experienced the winning feeling all over again, the ‘comeback queen’ as most people address her, now wants to take things one step at a time.

“This is my biggest achievement after winning the Olympic bronze. I’m just out of a big lull and feel a sense of relief to overcome it. I will begin preparing for the Asian Games. Paris is definitely on the cards. I want to experience competing at the Olympics for one last time," she said.