The woman who traveled from Rohtak to Rio, didn’t just travel a long distance, she fought her way, made it to Rio and bagged a medal, India’s first at the Rio Olympics 2016. Sakshi Malik, 22, won bronze in women’s wrestling at the Olympic Games in Rio on Wednesday. Malik fought five bruising battles in the 58kg category against equally determined opponents in a single day before securing the podium place. While she continued to make a difference by being a woman wrestler that too from a region like Haryana, the other thing that stands out her will to support her family financially.
Rohtak is full of hustle bustle. From medical shops to small tea-stalls, one can spot it all. But one might be taken aback by seeing a Subway outlet amongst these shops. Sachin Malik, Sakshi’s brother own the franchise and was frantically busy in exchanging greeting on Thursday, the day Raksha bandhan was celebrated in the country. In a conversation with The Indian Express, Sachin said, “it was Sakshi’s idea to start the restaurant. She had traveled a lot and felt there was a business opportunity. So two years ago, when she knew I was looking to start a business of my own, she made the suggestion. Also, she really liked sandwiches.”
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Recounting her journey, he explained how a girl from a modest family background in Haryana made it to Rio. While their mother, Sudesh was an anganwadi supervisor, their father, Sukhbir was a driver at Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC). Her paternal grandfather, Chaudhry Badlu Ram was famous wrestler and was elected as the sarpanch of Mokhra village thrice.
“When my grandfather would take us around the village, everyone would respectfully call him sarpanch ji and pehelwan ji. I think Sakshi liked that and wanted to get the same respect,” says Swati, Sakshi’s cousin.
By the time Sakshi was in class VI, she was adamant in being a wrestler. Coach Ishwar Dahiya recalls how the idea of Sakshi’s dream of being a wrestler was initially perceived, “I was told that I was mad to try and have boys and girls wrestle together. Kya sher aur bakri ek ghat se peete hain? But I could never think that women were the equivalent of goats. And I was right, wasn’t I? Hasn’t Sakshi turned out to be a lion?”
At the age of 12, Sakshi was the fourth girl to begin wrestling in Rohtak, said Dahiya. Her mother remarks how she often had to hear unpleasant things about her. Things such as, wrestling would ruin her physique which in turn be problematic for her marriage etc. However, this did not curtail her passion for wrestling, says Sudesh.
“More than anything, you have to give credit to her mother. If Sakshi had to get up for practice in the morning, maasi would get up along with her and take her to the stadium. She would then buy fresh fruit and nuts and make a shake out of it just so that Sakshi would get her protein as soon as she finished her training,” says Sonia, another cousin.
With a leap in Sakshi’s career, relatives and friends clamped their tongues. He brother recalls how he snapped at others when they poked at her being a wrestler. He reiterates that Subway was her idea and it was her constant push for it, that brought an international outlet in our town. While the sister has made the country proud, Sachin feels equally elated and says that it feels good when people walk his outlet and acknowledge that he is Sakshi’s brother.
