‘Medal toh mera hai,’ she had said. A smile on her face, the belief in her eyes. Unwavering. Uncompromising.
I had woken up at 4am on a Thursday morning to interview the three woman wrestlers who had qualified for the Rio Games. There was Vinesh Phogat, the youngest in the gang, but also the most promising medal prospect. Then there was Babita Phogat, Mahavir Phogat’s daughter and a regular feature in medal tallies at continental events. And also, a third contender. Sakshi Malik. A ‘challenger’ if I may. One who had risen through the ranks in the last year, beating Geeta, the eldest of the legendary Phogat sisters. The same Geeta who had been the first woman wrestler to ever represent India at the Olympics, in London.
To Sakshi, she was Geeta didi.