Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik has gone through a tough time in the last two years but the national trials helped in getting her confidence back and the wrestler is determined to win the medal at the Commonwealth Games, scheduled to begin from July 28 in Birmingham. In an exclusive conversation with The Daily Guardian she gave insights about her preparations for the upcoming Commonwealth Games. Excerpts
Q. We can see Sakshi glowing with confidence and determination, what’s the reason behind your victory in trials or your gold medal in UWW Ranking Series in Kazakhstan?
A. First of all I am very happy because for 2 years I was struggling to win, it has been 2 years since I got a place in the team. When there were trials of the Commonwealth Games, it was just that whatever may happen, I have to win and I won. That trial boosted my confidence a lot. Then I won gold in the ranking series. So yes, the confidence seemed to be low for the last 2 years or it was over, after getting back-to-back defeats has now improved. Absolutely both the tournaments helped me to boost my confidence.
Q. After two years of heartbreak, what hopes do you have for CWG 2022. How is the preparation going on?
A. My preparation is going very well and this time I have full hope that I will come out winning the gold as this will be my third Commonwealth Games. Earlier I have bronze, and silver too, so this time I will try my best to win gold.
Q. You represented ‘Colors Delhi Sultans’ in the second edition of the Pro Wrestling League held in January 2017. What’s your view on these sports leagues. Do they fill in as a catalyst for a new dawn in sports?
A. The league that used to be there was very good because world champions and Olympic medalists used to come from many countries and we used to compete with them. Fighting with them on our ground and our country and having our own audience, felt great. Many young and upcoming wrestlers were also encouraged and said, “We too can get a chance to participate in the league and we will do well”.
Q. Adeline Grey great American wrestler was in your team. And you learnt a lot watching her. What was your experience. Also, your husband plays in the league too. You guys practised together. Was it all good?
A. It was a great experience, Adeline Gray was the captain of my team and our team became the champion. I learnt a lot from Adeline, and still, she is a very good friend of mine.
Q. What inspiration would you give to upcoming wrestlers who want to be like you?
A. I would like to tell them that whatever you want to achieve, you can absolutely get it. But you have to work hard and have the discipline for it. If you give 100% effort then you can absolutely achieve the goal.
Q. We recently met Kuldeep Malik your coach, and he described the moment when he took you on his shoulders after you won the medal. Please cherish the memory.
A. Absolutely, that was the best moment of my life till now, after winning the Olympic medal, Kuldeep sir made circles after lifting me on his shoulder. I had a dream that I would win an Olympic medal, I would wave my tricolour on the podium and it did happen. It was a great experience, the best ever.
Q. In the Pro Wrestling league, both of you Satyawarat- Sakshi were together. How was the comradeship there and otherwise too?
A. Sakshi: It was great that we have been in the same team twice and in the opposite team also. It was quite a fun game, we gained a lot of experience, because many world champions, and Olympic medalists used to come with whom we used to compete. We both used to compete with each other, I wanted my team to win, and he wanted his team to win.
Q. How is the feeling when you get an opportunity to run with the flag in the stadium after the triumph?
A. We will never be able to describe that feeling in words. I have tried a lot of things in the world, but when we win medals and walk with the tricolour flag, then the feeling is on a different level.
Q. One is Arjuna awardee and the other is Padma Shree, the capped couple, what teachings or lessons would you like to give to a jr. Sakshi or a jr. Satyawrat
A. Sakshi: I would like to say that you also can achieve what you want. Whatever field you are in, definitely try to achieve something big.
Q. You have been selected in the 62 kg weight category, and you have left the 57 category. Where does the motivation to break these limits and move forward come from?
A. As I said earlier, the motivation to win medals and hoisting our country’s flag is the inspiration.
Q. Satyawrat what are your expectations from Commonwealth 2022, how many medals do you think are going to come this time?
A. All I want is that the whole country should pray that the 12 wrestlers of ours, all of them bring gold.
Q. You come from a humble background, you have a struggle story of yours as you mentioned once that it was your dream to fly in an aeroplane once. And then you took wrestling as your passion and profession. What will you suggest to the current generation who gets impatient so easily?
A. It doesn’t happen overnight. This is a very long journey. There are many struggles, there are no shortcuts, there is much hard work, and it takes years and years. It took me 14 years to win the medal. I just wanted to say that nothing is ever achieved in a hurry, if you keep training for loads of time, then you can achieve everything.
Q. Over the years, you have found yourself somewhere in a zone where you felt that you were missing something, you were losing something, how did you overcome it? And today we are seeing you so much fit, what is the reason behind it.
A. I have simply maintained an optimistic frame of mind. And I used to assume that the outcome cannot be so much worse because I’ve done well in wrestling in the past and I want to do even better in the future. Even though I had been losing for the past two years, I had the idea that something positive would definitely happen. The support, my family and coaches gave, kept me motivated to have a positive approach.
Q. It is far more stressful to represent the country, and in your case, it will be expected that you will win the gold medal for India at the CWG. How do you manage these demands and expectations, then?
A. I’ve wrestled for over 18 years, and I’ve participated in several competitions. Although there is pressure now that it has been ingrained, it still feels nice to win the game. So, putting the pressure aside, I believe that whatever efforts I have put during practice, to demonstrate it throughout the game.
Q. Your route to the CWG was not very easy and it took you five bouts to beat Sonam Malik and ensure your spot at the Games. Tell us about the trials and how did you overcome them?
A. Of course, there was a lot of pressure when the trials were revealed. I didn’t want to repeat the mistakes that led to my recent losses, whatever I was doing. I’ve made a lot of amends to rectify my mistakes. And there was a positive attitude in me.