What a proud moment for India! It had been 12 days since the Rio Olympics began and India was still yearning for that elusive medal. The chances grew slimmer with each passing day but then, Sakshi Malik scripted history by becoming the first woman wrestler from India to bag an Olympic medal and only the fourth female athlete from the country to climb the podium at the world’s biggest sporting event.
“It’s the result of my 12 years’ fight for day and night. I never thought I would become the first woman wrestler from India to bag an Olympic medal in wrestling. I hope the remaining wrestlers will also do well,” Sakshi said with tears of joy in her eyes.
The 23-year-old from Haryana, a silver medallist at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games and bronze winner at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, earned a dramatic come-from-behind 8-5 win over Kyrgysztan’s Aisuluu Tynybekova in the bronze medal play-off.
While Sakshi’s family were elated following the victory…
Rohtak: Jubilation at #SakshiMalik ‘s residence after India’s first medal win at the Rio Olympics. Parents ecstatic pic.twitter.com/4X0YqVPaQl
— ANI (@ANI_news) August 17, 2016
Twitter too went berserk with prominent personalities from all walks of life were showering praises on Sakshi.
She has done what no Indian girl has done before. A real hero #SakshiMalik u have set a path 4 many more 2 follow u https://t.co/dDsE4XzXhb
— Sushil Kumar (@WrestlerSushil) August 18, 2016
Wowwwwww amazing amazinggggg #SakshiMalik
Take a bow 👏🏼👏🏼— Gutta Jwala (@Guttajwala) August 17, 2016
Sakshi aap ki tarif me jitna bola jae kam hoga garv he desh ko aap ke upr. Desh ki kusti ko ek alg pahchan mili h aaj. #JaiHind #ind
— Yogeshwar Dutt (@DuttYogi) August 17, 2016
Congratulations Sakshi https://t.co/KgP1NOD3uM
— Shiva Thapa (@shivathapa) August 17, 2016
Congratulation #SakshiMalik… pic.twitter.com/Fado0Jbdse
— sreejesh p r (@16Sreejesh) August 18, 2016
Great comeback by Sakshi Malik 2 win our 1st medal in Rio.determination and self belief r the key for a performance like this.congratulation
— Mahendra Singh Dhoni (@msdhoni) August 18, 2016
#SakshiMalik is a reminder of what cn happn if u don’t kill a girl child.When d going gets tough,its our girls who get going &save our pride
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) August 18, 2016
#SakshiMalik has made India proud.Wrestling in India gets another big boost.#Rio2016
— Ashwin Ravichandran (@ashwinravi99) August 17, 2016
T 2351 – #Rio2016 and the women of India doing us so proud .. especially in the wresting ..Sakshi you made us proud Indians !! COME ONNN !!
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) August 17, 2016
The innocent smile of achievement and our smile is of immense pride…..#SakshiMalik is the hope for the future…. pic.twitter.com/WTdJ1yZ43k
— Karan Johar (@karanjohar) August 18, 2016
This says it all!!!
Supergirl Sakshi!#Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/3AKjBqVdbJ— Boman Irani (@bomanirani) August 17, 2016
#SakshiMalik u made d country proud.congrts on yr bronze medal.determination amidst al da politics,mediocre treatmnt makes u woman of India
— Vishal (@VishalKOfficial) August 18, 2016
congratulations #SakshiMalik .entire nation is rejoicing on your achievement.thank you.
— Manoj Bajpayee (@BajpayeeManoj) August 18, 2016
Congratulations, #SakshiMalik ! Congratulations India! Woohoo! pic.twitter.com/wntHCF2WWm
— VISHAL DADLANI (@VishalDadlani) August 18, 2016
Congrats India..because of Sakshi Malik, we don’t go empty handed..God bless such hardworking Kids, & all others who gave their best shots.
— Sonu Nigam (@sonunigam) August 17, 2016
Politicians also flooded Twitter with praises for the female wrestler from Haryana.
On this very auspicious day of Raksha Bandhan, Sakshi Malik, a daughter of India, wins a Bronze & makes all of us very proud. #Rio2016
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 18, 2016
Hearty Congratulations to #SakshiMalik for winning a medal in women’s wrestling in #Rio2016 and doing India proud #PresidentMukherjee
— President of India (@RashtrapatiBhvn) August 18, 2016
Congratulations to Sakshi Malik on winning the bronze in women’s wrestling at #Rio2016!An incredible win that’s made us all proud!
— Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) August 18, 2016
Congrats #SakshiMalik for the #Bronze @ #Rio2016 . #IND‘s daughter, we are proud of you.. Well done👍 pic.twitter.com/DHpEQWCRvX
— Rajyavardhan Rathore (@Ra_THORe) August 17, 2016
Congratulations Sakshi Malik. U have made the whole nation proud. https://t.co/ynuDlF15RX
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 18, 2016
The wait is over #SakshiMalik makes us proud. Our first medal,a bronze in womens wrestling #Rio2016 #KheloIndia pic.twitter.com/MFAUxoGMzo
— Vijay Kumar Singh (@Gen_VKSingh) August 17, 2016
#SakshiMalik gave a great gift to #IndHad it not for a freak injury-@phogat_vinesh was also on verge of a glorious medal!Proud of you!
— Ajay Maken (@ajaymaken) August 17, 2016
Congratulations to India’s daughter and a member of Railway family #SakshiMalik for winning first medal for India at #Rio2016 Proud moment!
— Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) August 18, 2016
You did it #SakshiMalik, congratulations on winning & a brilliant performance @Olympics #Rio2016 !
— Lt. Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) August 18, 2016
From those covering the bout from the venue to those biting their nails in their living room, media personalities too shared the joyous moment.
A medal! And a first for a woman wrestler! Hopefully, the first of many. Congratulations to the tough #SakshiMalik
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) August 18, 2016
Thank you #SakshiMalik pic.twitter.com/xUFBKmWua6
— Gaurav Kalra (@gauravkalra75) August 17, 2016
Its #RakshaBandhan folks. And look at the way #SakshiMalik rescued Indian Tally. She did what brothers couldn’t do. #BetiBachaoBetiPadhao
— Yashwant Deshmukh (@YRDeshmukh) August 17, 2016
What an elation in the middle of the night!! Difficult to sleep with so much adrenaline in my system after a nail biting match #SakshiMalik
— Heena sidhu (@HeenaSidhu10) August 17, 2016
Such a happy feeling. Stayed up hoping #SakshiMalik would win. She won — and made us all proud. Especially us dads of super girls. #IND
— কাঞ্চন গুপ্ত (@KanchanGupta) August 17, 2016
(Feature image source: AFP)