Sakshi Malik features in inspirational video on women empowerment ahead of Olympics: WATCH

Sakshi Malik, India’s first female Olympic wrestling champion, has served as an inspiration to women all around the country. The Haryana local gained immense fame after becoming one of just two medallists from the Indian contingent to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. While she has missed the cutoff for a place in the Tokyo Olympics 2021, the bronze medallist's contribution to the sport and the girls she has motivated to take up the game, will make up her legacy as she prepares for future tournaments, and perhaps even the next Olympics.

Sakshi Malik career: Wrestler misses out on Olympics 2021 berth, fans not fazed

Ahead of the Tokyo Olympics 2021, Sakshi Malik took to Twitter to share an inspiring video of herself paying tribute to the unseen struggles and daily success of women in India. Dressed as women in different professions, including a police officer, a chef, a medical professional and a construction worker, Malik talks about how "every Sakshi" wrestles with and bounces back from adversity to win small victories every day in the country. The Padma Shri and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna awardee made her first splash as a professional wrestler when she won the bronze medal at the Junior World Championships in 2010. 

Having won two Commonwealth Games medals (a silver in 2014 and a bronze in 2018), Malik reached the pinnacle of her career when she won India a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Qualifying for the third-place match due to the repechage feature, Malik beat Pürevdorjiin Orkhon of Mongolia and followed it up with a come-from-behind victory over reigning Asian champion Aisuluu Tynybekova of Kyrgyzstan to clinch the position. She failed to secure a berth at the 2021 Olympics, after losing out to Sonam Malik in a qualification event.

Sakshi Malik net worth

According to sportingfree.com, Sakshi Malik's net worth is estimated to be anywhere around $1-5 million. Most of this comes from her time as a wrestler and the prize money and awards she has earned. Malik also received much commercial interest after her Olympic medal and has earned from endorsement deals with brands like ASICS. She was awarded cash prizes totalling over ₹5.7 crores from various organizations and state governments. Currently employed as a gazetted officer by the Indian Railways, Malik also receives a salary from the organization, adding to her net worth. She is managed by JSW Sports.

Sakshi Malik husband

In an interview shortly after her triumphs at the Rio Olympics, Sakshi Malik announced she was engaged to wrestler Satyawart Kadian. Kadian, who also hails from Haryana, is an international level wrestler and the son of Satyawan Kadian, an Arjuna Awardee and 1988 Summer Olympics Olympian. Training in his father's akhada, Kadian rose to fame at the 2010 Youth Olympics where he brought home the bronze medal. His biggest achievements to date have come at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games where he has won a bronze and silver respectively. Sakshi Malik and Kadian tied the knot on April 2, 2017. 

DISCLAIMER: The above Sakshi Malik net worth information is sourced from various websites/ media reports. The website does not guarantee a 100% accuracy of the figures.

Image Credits: AP