Sakshi Malik's Journey To Rio Began Here - At This Akhada

At 5:30 am, Rohtak's Choturam Akhada is buzzing with 150 odd kids wrestling on a mat. Here there is no difference between a girl and a boy even though the state has one of the worst sex ratio. This is where Sakshi Malik's journey to Rio podium began 12 years back.

She wanted to wrestle because the state had a great tradition and this was the sport kids around her were playing. In the past decade things have changed. Says Mandeep Coach, a coach at the centre, " We have girls from very far coming to this training centre. Parents do not call up asking if the boys have got here safe but they inquire about the girls. That is the only difference."

While in Rohtak, Sakshi trains at this akhada all week, morning, noon and night. "She has been very busy with her Olympics but that did not stop her from helping kids at this facility. She would often wrestle with them," confirms Mandeep. And her presence there has been inspiring. Kids says that they wrestle to earn a name for themselves.

Many wrestling schools like Choturam akhada has sprung in the state of Haryana in the last few years to support both girls and boys.

Sakshi's father, a state government employee says, " Every kid here wants to win a medal. The Haryana government's policy 'win a medal, get a job' is very attractive. When Sakshi comes back she will do a tour of the schools to encourage the kids." Sukhveer and his wife Sudesh did not put their kid into wrestling because she wanted a job but an Olympic medal.

As the voluble 23-year old says," I have been sleeping, eating and breathing Olympics for a while now." Payoshni Mitra, a sports researcher says," But let's face the truth. Sakshi, who I had the opportunity to meet and interview during the national camp in Lucknow and also visit her family and coach in Rohtak, is what she is today because her family, mainly her Mom, Sudesh Malik, a health department staff in Haryana, devoted all her life to making this champion. This victory is her victory as much as Sakshi's. And it is their victory, not ours. Because we, as a nation, have hardly done anything for our girls and women who aspire to be champion athletes."

However for the last few years Sakshi has got the help she needed from the state and the central government. A Commonwealth Games silver medal, followed by a bronze helped her secure Government's funding under the Target Olympic podium scheme. Sakshi got around Rs 30 Lakh for her training and preparation ahead of the Rio Games. And she has vindicated the faith reposed in her.

With cash awards reigning in and a promise for a better facility, there is no looking back for Sakshi. She has now become a pioneer in her field and her bronze medal has showed the way for many in the future. As Mandeep put it," You will see the clout of Indian women in wrestling by the time Tokyo 2020 comes around."