Rio Video games bronze medallist wrestler Sakshi Malik feels profitable an Olympic medal not solely transforms an athlete’s life but additionally impacts society, creating quite a few alternatives for kids. Sakshi turned the primary lady wrestler to safe an Olympic medal, profitable a bronze on the Rio Video games in 2016. “An Olympic dream is not only an athlete’s dream; it is the dream of a complete household. Successful an Olympic medal transforms not solely the lifetime of the athlete but additionally the lives of their household, society, and village,” Sakshi mentioned at a media occasion in Mumbai organised by JSW Sports activities on Friday.
The 31-year-old claimed that her house metropolis of Rohtak has undergone a number of modifications by way of sporting infrastructure since her medal-winning run eight years in the past.
“After my medal, important modifications occurred. The Chhotu Ram Stadium in Rohtak, the place I skilled, went from having a tin roof to changing into an AC corridor. A stadium was even inbuilt my village and named after me.
“An Olympic medal creates quite a few alternatives, particularly for kids, permitting them to coach in higher amenities. The craze for wrestling in Haryana has surged. In every single place you go, there is a stadium each ten minutes, and you will find women coaching in each. The outdated mindset that women could not wrestle has modified dramatically.” With girls wrestlers doing effectively on the world stage increasingly more women are taking on the game with an intention to achieve Olympic glory.
“The misconceptions that women are impure and should not take part in wrestling have been debunked. Now, women are proving that they can also excel in wrestling.” Out of the six Indian wrestlers who’ve certified for this month’s Paris Olympics, 5 are feminine grapplers — Vinesh Phogat (50kg), Antim Panghal (53kg), Anshu Malik (57kg), Nisha Dahiya (68kg) and Reetika Hooda (76kg).
“There was a time when individuals believed that women could not wrestle, however right now, this has modified. For the primary time, 5 women are going to the Olympics for wrestling whereas just one boy goes. Women, who have been as soon as suppressed, are actually boldly stepping ahead and excelling in wrestling.
“After my medal win, nobody enters wrestling merely eager about securing a job or a profit. They now begin with the objective of profitable an Olympic medal. This shift in mindset is extremely inspiring.” Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar, who missed out on a medal by a whisker on the Rio Video games, reiterated Sakshi’s views.
“After the 2016 Rio Olympics, loads of issues have modified in Tripura. Individuals had a mindset that they cannot go into gymnastics. And in Tripura, there have been loads of modifications.
“For instance, the infrastructure, the vault that you simply see, you want loads of foam pits, that are crucial. They weren’t there earlier than.” Karmakar’s hometown, like Sakshi’s witnessed a surge in gymnastics and a number of other coaching centres got here up.
“After the 2016 Olympics, they constructed the froth pit there, and loads of gear got here. And the youngsters’s curiosity stage elevated lots. Earlier, there have been only a few centres, however now in all places, whether or not it is authorities or personal, the centres have elevated lots.
“And everybody’s mindset is that we additionally wish to go to the Olympics, which wasn’t there earlier than. So in line with me, after the 2016 Rio Olympics, lots of people’s mindsets modified, which was crucial,” she added.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
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