New Delhi, March 7 As the world is gearing up for International Women's Day on March 8, former wrestler and Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik highlighted the daily struggles a woman faces in her life and advocates for recognising women’s strength and resilience every single day, urging to acknowledge the everyday battles women overcome.
In 2016, Sakshi became the very first Indian woman wrestler to win a medal at the Olympics when she bagged a bronze medal in the 58 kg category in Rio. She has changed perceptions and became a role model to future generations of female wrestlers.
Speaking to IANS, Sakshi shared her thoughts on International Women's Day and said the celebration of women's achievements should not be confined to just one day, it should be recognised and honoured every day.
"There should not be just one special day for women; every day should be Women's Day because a woman faces struggles throughout her life. Take my example: I started wrestling with very few facilities, went through many struggles, and then achieved something. Now, I am a mother, managing my child while also working in the railways," Sakshi told IANS.
Sakshi believes that if a woman is determined, focused and disciplined about her goals, she can achieve anything. She pointed out that there was a lot of discrimination between boys and girls in Haryana. However, there has been a change in this mindset and people are encouraging their daughters to move forward in their respective fields.
"Earlier, there was discrimination between boys and girls in Haryana, but after my medals, awareness grew and people started encouraging their daughters to move forward in every field. Women are not less than anyone in any field. If you are focused and disciplined, you can achieve anything," she added.
Sakshi also spoke about the challenges faced by female athletes, highlighting the struggles they encounter in their journey. "The career of women athletes is short compared to men’s. No matter how long your career is, do your best and there’s no need to fear anyone. We have learned to fight both on the mat and off the match. Whatever field you are in, keep working.
"Even though I have retired from wrestling, I want to stay connected to sports. I have a 3-month-old daughter, and I am getting back to fitness. I want to teach children wrestling," the former wrestler, who is currently embracing motherhood, concluded.
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