Sakshi Malik opened the account of medals for India in 2016 Rio Olympics, as she won the bronze medal in the wrestling 58kg category after she beat Aisuluu Tynybekova of Kyrgyzstan 8-5 in the bronze medal bout.
She is the first Indian woman wrestler to win an Olympic medal ever and only fourth Indian woman athlete to win an Olympic medal after Karnam Malleshwari, Mary Kom and Saina Nehwal.
Sakshi Malik, born in Rohtak, Haryana became the only second Indian woman wrestler to book a place on the Rio bandwagon. She had represented India in the women's freestyle 58 kg category at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in which she won the silver medal. She also represented India in the women's freestyle 60 kg category at the 2014 World Wrestling Championships in Tashkent.
As the Day 12 of 2016 Rio Olympics conclude, Sakshi remains the lone medal bearer in 118 membered Indian contingent. She is an upcoming face of Indian wrestlers and can be deemed as Mary Kom of wrestling in India.