Imagine you are one of the favorites to win an important event, maybe even at the Olympic Games. You’ve trained hard and are at the top of your game, but you sustain a serious injury mid-match. How would you feel?
That’s exactly what Vinesh Phogat of India was going through after Sun Yanan suddenly pinned the Indian down in an awkward position with the Chinese leading 2-1 in the quarterfinals of the 48kg women's wrestling event.
I know it sounds dramatic, but to devote your life to something and then have it snatched away is a bit like suffering a bereavement. You’ve lost something that’s part of you. The adage ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’ certainly appears to be true of sports injury, because it makes the athlete become more determined to succeed when they return.
One of India's best bets for a medal, Vinesh was bidding to win gold after beating the silver medallist of the European Championship this year by a whopping 11-0 margin in the Round of 16. It won't be unfair to say that the 21-year-old Indian had a good chance to win gold in this event after that sterling performance. But a torn ligament completely shattered her dreams; Vinesh fought back tears as medical staff helped her off the floor and she obviously had to withdraw from the competition.
The injury happened in a split-second. With Vinesh leading 1-0 in the first period, Sun Yanan hit back with a single-leg takedown to earn two points. Seconds later, the former held her in a tricky position and that's when the injury occurred.
The stretcher had to be brought on the mat and tears were rolling down her cheeks. There was a wave of emotion that she couldn’t hide, knowing she would miss the rest of the competition.
It was devastating, it still is devastating. There aren’t really any words to describe it.
But it was that very moment when Sakshi Malik became even more determined to make this dream of India winning its first medal in women's wrestling come true. She had to win it – for herself, for Vinesh, and even more for the nation.
While an injury can represent a major setback for an athlete, with the right approach, another athlete can gain positive encouragement from it. And that happened with Sakshi as the Rohtak-born wrestler went on to win India's first medal in this Olympics for her friend, and lifted the drooping spirits of the entire nation deep into the night.
Sakshi was trailing by five points against the current Asian No. 1 Tynybekova from Kyrgyzstan and she had 180 seconds left on the clock. "Aap humare saath do, hum aapko medal denge," suddenly rang in my ears. Those were the words which Sakshi had uttered the last time we met in Lucknow.
The entire game had been close, but when Sakshi won the challenge to win by three points, there was a pin drop silence around me. The moment was over in the blink of an eye and at the sound of the buzzer, it left an imprint on my soul and reminded me that life's lessons often come to fruition when we least expect it.
Blood, sweat, and tears don't even come close. At the greatest sporting event in the world, everything's on the line – making each and every triumph that much bigger, bolder, and at times, breathtaking.
Those who have been following Sakshi’s career know that she has always been overshadowed by Geeta Phogat, the first female wrestler to represent India at the Olympics in her category. But the way she has shouldered the entire nation’s hopes this year at Hall 3 of the Olympic Training Center in Barra da Tijuca will certainly make Vinesh proud. While she jumped on the mat with ear-to-ear smile with the Indian tri-colour draped around her, Vinesh, like every Indian sports fan, would have beamed.
From time to time, I need my faith in humanity to be restored. Sometimes, I see the world as a cold, dark place where everyone struggles to survive and not many people truly enjoy being alive. But every once in a while, there are unexpected moments in life that surprise us and fill our stagnant souls with an inexplicable joy and sense of redemption.
It would be false to say that sports is only about winning games and scoring points. What a different place the world would be if we all approached life with the mindset that these players possess. Perhaps we would discover that our own fears and obstacles are not so big after all. Maybe we would realize that no matter how small we may seem, we still have the power to change the world.
It was a story of triumphing against the odds. That’s not easy to do in a sport that only garners significant attention once every four years, during the Olympics. But by any yardstick, Sakshi’s fabulous feat in Rio de Janeiro on August 17 2016 will remain as one of the most memorable chapters in India’s sporting history, along with those of Saina Nehwal, Mary Kom and Karnam Malleswari.
We can count on our fingers the number of Indians who have won individual medals at the Olympics. But with India's first medal in women's wrestling, Sakshi has proved that if a woman so desired, she could become physically as strong – or even stronger – than men.
Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt have already taken men’s wrestling to a very high pedestal in India. Who knows, this inspirational journey at the highest level might give a new face and direction to women's wrestling in India too.
