Sports

Sakshi Malik nabs India’s first medal at Rio Olympics

Defeats Aisuluu Tynybekova of Kyrgyzstan 3-1 in one of two bronze medal matches

Afp August 18, 2016

Sakshi Malik celebrates with her team member after winning the bronze medal. PHOTO: REUTERS

RIO DE JANEIRO: Sakshi Malik snared India's first medal of the Rio Olympics on Wednesday when she claimed bronze in the women's freestyle wrestling 58kg category.

Malik defeated Aisuluu Tynybekova of Kyrgyzstan 3-1 in one of two bronze medal matches.

"It's my dream of 12 years come true, I'm so happy," said Malik.

Pakistan-origin woman set to make history as first Baloch female Olympian

"It's a very pressurised match because it's a medal match -- very, very pressurised.

"I was very confident I would win."

Her compatriots took to Twitter to celebrate her victory:

#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

Congratulations #SakshiMalik for making us proud 🇮🇳 🏅 You go girl!
— Madhuri Dixit Nene (@MadhuriDixit) August 18, 2016

#sakshimalik thank you. Proud of every indian athlete that is fighting the best to make us shine. #respecttheeffortnotjusttheresult
— Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor) August 18, 2016

A great athlete performs when it matters most and #SakshiMalik did just that! Our 1st medal at #Rio2016 ,1st of many for young Sakshi.
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) August 18, 2016

Congratulations #SakshiMalik for making all of India proud 🇮🇳 🏅#Rio2016 #Olympics pic.twitter.com/4jrLQ2hZU8
— Leander Paes OLY (@Leander) August 18, 2016

#SakshiMalik We want you to know that India loves you.
Go Girl ...We celebrate you with pride. pic.twitter.com/CkfMsppotY
— Ajay Devgn (@ajaydevgn) August 18, 2016

Shaunae Miller dives for gold at Rio Olympics

https://twitter.com/aamir_khan/status/766140105191030784

https://twitter.com/rahulverma08/status/766124958116380672

Many congratulations #SakshiMalik we are very proud!! #Rio2016
— Abhishek 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧 (@juniorbachchan) August 18, 2016

Painting Rio tricolour ! So soooooo proud #SakshiMalik pic.twitter.com/3zlEBPquEc
— Suniel Shetty (@SunielVShetty) August 18, 2016

What great news to wake up to! #SakshiMalik, your resilience at #Rio2016 has made whole of India proud. Many Congratulations!!!
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) August 18, 2016

Congratulations on your first Olympic medal #SakshiMalik. Very well done!! #Rio2016 #proudindian
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) August 18, 2016

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

COMMENTS (31)

De Grasse | 8 years ago | Reply Who is Narsingh Yadav?

Kulbhushan Yadav | 8 years ago | Reply @Bolt: I thought Pakistan is in competition with India, but I guess you are as good as Afghans in Olympics.

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Bolt | 8 years ago | Reply I thought India is in competition with China and here they are on cloud nine by comparing themselves with Pakistan.

Somebody | 8 years ago | Reply Those who are gloating and over the moon, congrats to them... finally. Before taking a jibe at Pakistan remember that we are in war , fighting a war for the last 15 years. Our security is our major concern, we do not have the luxury of preparing for olympics which is a peace time pursuit. India is not in any kind of war, so comparison is unfair except if you are an unfair, biased and prejudice person.

whatever | 8 years ago | Reply in last 28 years Pakis-tanis are yet to win a medal

k k khan | 8 years ago | Reply congratulations!

Kulbhushan Yadav | 8 years ago | Reply @Parvez: Yup but no joy for Pakistanis yet. Wait another 50 years, you will have your chance too. But how come you have so many citizen working as terrorist but not a single one to win even in shooting games???? Guess some of LeT terrorist would win when Olympics would allow AK47 in games :D LOL.

Tamil Arasan | 8 years ago | Reply @Hypocrite: What do you mean by first Hindu...?? If that's the case then Serina and Rajeev Ram in tennis have already won mixed tennis...!! Why u guys are not able to come out of relegion...?? By the way India should be proud for all 105 participants because they all have been selected on merit not on continental quota...!!

Reddy | 8 years ago | Reply @Hypocrite, so many terrorists, still can't win a single shooting medal?

wb | 8 years ago | Reply @divergence: "Oh she won the medal for more than 70 kashmiris killed?" She won the medal for all the Kashmiri Indians under occupation of Pakistan.

wb | 8 years ago | Reply @Kam: Today Sindhu will earn us our second medal and that too a silver or hopefully a gold.

Russian | 8 years ago | Reply @Hassan T I checked Moldova they also have just 1 bronze medal. What is your point? It's better than coming back home with 1 bronze medal than coming back empty handed like Pakistan.

ajeet | 8 years ago | Reply We dedicate her medal to the oppressed Baluch's.

divergence | 8 years ago | Reply Oh she won the medal for more than 70 kashmiris killed?

Hypocrite | 8 years ago | Reply Out of 118 athletes 1 has won the bronze medal after 2,weeks and you want to compare it with 7 athletes from Pakistan? I think you are sick! I think she is the first Hindu to win a medal as compared to Muslims who have won gold medals in the game. I would advise you to celebrate her success instead of being narcissist.@M. Emad:

Hassan T | 8 years ago | Reply For a country of population of 1.3 billion,they are over the moon over just a bronze medal...Even countries like Moldova have same medals when their population is less than Mumbai population...

M. Emad | 8 years ago | Reply @Shahid: Sorry for the mistake.

Russian | 8 years ago | Reply @Baloch We voted Putin. And trust me the world doesn't care about Pakistan's opinion on another World leader.

sunil rao | 8 years ago | Reply Shahid, inspite of these difficult times between the two countries you have had the courtesy to congratulate us from Pakistan..this shows your culture. Thanks brother..We must make sure to wish you in your successes.

Shahid | 8 years ago | Reply @Pankaj: Love your comment...well said

Tiwana | 8 years ago | Reply @Kam: problem is nobody takes sports seriously in India due to sheer involvement of politicians and bureaucrats, where as Chinese consider national pride above anything, same is the case with Pakistan too, after all we have same DNA

Pankaj | 8 years ago | Reply @Kam: You are right.... We will definitely improve but please suggest same to your country so that we can compete in these fields as well (not only nukes).

Baloch | 8 years ago | Reply @Russian: You people only spread hatred!! Else you would have never voted a murderer!! that tells a lot about you people!!

Kam | 8 years ago | Reply Just one bronze medal for a country with second largest (soon to be first) population of world. Congrats to the wrestler but country need to do more.

Parvez | 8 years ago | Reply Well done.......the collective sigh of relief from 1.3 billion Indians is very noticeable.

Russian | 8 years ago | Reply @Shahid Can you stop using the word Asians according to your convenience? She made India proud not Asia.period. If making Asia proud was the goal every Asian country would be competing as Asians not as Indians, Chinese, Japanese, Pakistanis. @M.Emad I don't think anyone really cares Pakistan gets a medal or not in Olympics. They don't take Olympics seriously. For a country of 200 million which sends just 7 athletes to Olympics is an indication that they don't care about Olympics.

Shahid | 8 years ago | Reply @M. Emad: Its 'medal' not 'medel' :)

vinsin | 8 years ago | Reply How come this can be a news for Pakistan? What about China and other countries winning medal? Iran, UAE etc?

M. Emad | 8 years ago | Reply Any medel for 200-million Pakistan ?

Shahid | 8 years ago | Reply Thanks for making Asians proud! Congratulations from Pakistan.

Pankaj | 8 years ago | Reply Proud of you Sakshi.. !!!! Thanks for making country proud.

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