Ending the country's drought at the medal's tally at the ongoing Rio Olympics, wrestler Sakshi Malik made history yesterday when, with her bronze medal win in the women’s 58kg freestyle wrestling, she became the first Indian female wrestler to win an Olympic medal. In the bronze medal match, Sakshi was up against Aisuluu Tynybekova of Kyrgystan, who seemed to be the toughest opponent yet. Sakshi was thoroughly outplayed. She conceded a one-point penalty for not being able to complete a takedown and then conceded four more by being forced off the mat. Down 0-5 at the start of the second period, Sakshi had a mountain to climb.

But suddenly, she looked like a changed wrestler. Being 0-5 down was not the first time she had been the underdog. “You have to fight, fight, fight, if you want to achieve something”, she had once said and she did just that. The scoreboard had changed within a minute from 0-5 to 7-5. From being the second best in her country till three months ago, from being overshadowed even in the Olympics, from a deficit of 0-5 down, this 23-year-old Rohtak girl had found it in herself to fight back. Sakshi Malik had clinched the bronze medal with a 8-5 scoreline. The Haryana government has also announced a cash prize of 2.5 Cr and also a government job for Sakshi.