Bronze medal is a result of my 12 years of hard work: Sakshi

Rio de Janeiro, Aug 18 (PTI) After ending India’sagonising wait for an Olympic medal at the Rio Games with abronze medal, Indian women wrestler Sakshi Malik said it wasthe result of her 12 years of persistent hard work. Sakshi today scripted history by becoming the first womanwrestler from India to bag an Olympic medal and only fourthfemale athlete from the country to climb to the podium at thebiggest sporting event. "Meri 12 saal ki tapasya rang layi (It’s the result of my12 years’ fight for day and night). Geeta didi, my senior hadqualified for the first time in London," Sakshi said, withtears of joy in her eyes. "I never thought I would become the first woman wrestlerfrom India to bag an Olympic medal in wrestling. I hope theremaining wrestlers will also do well," Sakshi said. The 23-year-old from Haryana, a silver medallist at the2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games and bronze winner at the 2014Incheon Asian Games, earned a dramatic come-from-behind 8-5win over Kyrgysztan’s Aisuluu Tynybekova in the bronze medalplay-off here. "It’s in the women’s section, we have got the first medalfor India," said an ecstatic WFI president Brij Bhushan evenas he hugged her in joy. Sakshi earned the dramatic win after falling behind 0-5following the first period in the do-or-die bout. The Indianturned the tables on the Kyrgyzstan wrestler in the dyingseconds of the bout as Tynybekova was in complete command inmost part of the clash. On her defensive approach that saw her trailing 0-5,Sakshi said: "I never gave up till last, I knew I would win ifI lasted till six minutes. In last round, I had to give mymaximum, I had the self belief." Sakshi had lost 2-9 in the quarter-finals to Russia’sValeriia Koblova in the fifth bout of the day before getting asecond chance in repechage when her conqueror reached thefinal. "It was an agonising two-three hours wait for me.Congratulations to my country mates, I could live up to theirexpectations," she said. Like in three of the four other bouts earlier in the day,Sakshi won the crucial bout after coming from behind. In fact,Sakshi’s winning move that got her two points initially waschallenged by her Kyrgyztan rival and it was reviewed and shewas awarded an extra point by the judges much to her rival’schagrin. Weightlifter Karnam Malleshwari (2000, Sydney), boxer MCMary Kom (2012, London) and shuttler Saina Nehwal (2012,London) were the only other women players from India to havewon a medal in Olympics. This was India’s fifth medal in wrestling where SushilKumar has the distinction of winning a silver in London 2012. Sakshi, who qualfied through second Olympic Games WorldQualifying Tournament in Istanbul, battled social biases andsexism to learn wrestling. She took up the sport when she wasjust nine years old. PTI TAP ATKATK