Wrestler Sakshi Malik wins India’s first medal at Rio Olympics

Freestyle wrestler Sakshi Malik (23) won India’s first medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games by clinching the bronze in the 58kg category.
With this victory she created history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to win an Olympic medal. It was India’s overall 25th medal in Olympic Games.
In the playoff bout, Sakshi defeated Aisuluu Tynybekova of Kyrgyzstan by 8-5 points. With this she becomes only the fourth woman athlete from India to win an Olympic medal.
Weight-lifter Karnam Malleshwari was the first Indian to win an Olympic medal. She had won a bronze medal in weight lifting event at the 2000 Sydney Games.
Boxer MC Marykom and Shuttler Saina Nehwal also had won a bronze medal each in boxing ad badminton respectively at the 2012 London Games.
Olympic medals in Wrestling

• Sakshi Malik’s bronze medal was India’s fifth wrestling medal in the Olympic Games.
• KD Jadhav was the first Indian wrestler to win a medal in Olympics with his bronze at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games.
• Sushil Kumar bagged the second wrestling bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and later silver medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games.
• Yogeshwar Dutt also had pocketed a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

About Sakshi Malik

• Born on September 3, 1992 in Rohtak, Haryana.
• She had started her training in wrestling at a tender age of 12-years under the guidance of Ishwar Dahiya at an akhara in the Chotu Ram stadium.
• She has won bronze medal at the 2010 Junior World Championships in the 59-kg category, Gold medal at the 2014 Dave Schultz International Wrestling Tournament (60-kg).
• She also has won silver medal in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, bronze medal in 2015 Senior Asian Wrestling Championships in Doha and bronze medal at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix in 60-kg category.

Month: Current Affairs - August, 2016