Most of India was still sleeping when Sakshi Malik overturned a 0-5 deficit in her medal bout into an 8-5 victory to become the country’s first and women wrestling medallist at the Olympics. She had lost the initial quarterfinal bout but with her opponent making it to the final, Sakshi had another shot at glory – one she would make most of – and she didn’t disappoint. And after two bouts and two successive consecutive victories, her dream was fulfilled. India’s dream wrestler celebrates her birthday on September 3, 2019 (Monday). As Sakshi turns 26, take a look at some big achievements of one of India’s golden girl. Usain Bolt Birthday Special: Nine Powerful Quotes by World's Fastest Man.

“Meri 12 saal ki tapasya safal hui (my 12 years' of hard work have borne fruit),” Sakshi would say moments after claiming the bronze that would put her name in India’s history forever. The country had waited longer for a women’s medallist in Wrestling at the Olympic Games but this was a moment to savour. In her victory, Sakshi had transcended everything. From social stereotypes and gender decriminalisation in her native Haryana to the restriction, taboos and anathema towards women wrestlers, Sakshi had transcended everything.

That metallic brown colour of the bronze medal was more than the yellow metal reserved for bigger winners. A gold – more importantly, a gold at the Olympics – is more grandeur and cherished more grandly. But to Sakshi and her society, the bronze meant more than any gold could ever mean. It broke barricades and that meant in Rohtak – Sakshi’s village – where a girl child would die as a foetus more times than it saw life, female wrestlers come out in dozens.

“Parents in Rohtak wants girls to become wrestlers now,” Sakshi had reasserted in multiple interviews since 2016. The landscape in Rohtak had changed. You find more wrestling academies now. You find academies where girls wrestle with boys – as Sakshi did as a 12-year-old. The Rohtak academy centre that trained her is still the biggest wrestling centre around the area and over time has contributed multiple national-level wrestlers to the country in both the women and men’s category.

Sakshi still remains their most cherished wrestler. One they look up to, one everyone and every aspiring wrestler in Rohtak – irrespective of their gender – look up to. The Olympics bronze wasn’t the only accolade Sakshi won India. A Commonwealth Games silver had preceded the Olympics medal, another bronze followed in 2018. Four Asian Championships medals and a Commonwealth Championships gold should be added too.

But the Olympics bronze was above everything. It changed Rohtak and to a greater extent, it changed Haryana, like it would when Vinesh Phogat became India’s first woman to win a gold at the Asian Games. The Olympics bronze served more than any gold medal ever could. Happy Birthday, Sakshi Malik! You’ve made India proud.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 03, 2019 08:27 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).