Retracing Tokyo Olympics-bound Anshu & Sonam Malik's path from bitter foes to best friends

The tale of India's Tokyo Olympic-bound athletes Anshu Malik and Sonam Malik is a story of fierce rivals becoming best friends, thanks to a truce called by their parents and families. Anshu and Sonam turned doubters into believers as they qualified for the Tokyo Olympics ahead of established stars Pooja Dhanda and Sakshi Malik. The Tokyo Olympics is scheduled to take place from 23 July 2021 to 8 August 2021.

Anshu and Sonam bitter rivalry turns into friendship

Before qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics, both Anshu Malik and Sonam Malik were battling against each other at the state and national levels. The two used to compete in the same category (either 56 kg or 60 kg), and always one denied the other the title. As a result of this rivalry, it led to mutual animosity not only between them but also between their families. Anshu's father, Dharamvir, and Sonam's father, Raj, also came at odds with each other on one occasion when they both believed that their kid deserved to win.

However, the animosity between the wrestlers and their respective families did not last long. According to PTI, Dharamvir said, "They both are good. We thought that if they remain in the same category, one of them will miss out on representing India despite having the capability. So we decided to change their categories. Anshu stayed in 60kg and Sonam competed in 56kg. That was the best option for her and both became world champions (Cadet in 2017) after that."

With both Anshu Malik and Sonam Malik finally coming to better terms thanks to their families, both were asked their opinion on their newly formed friendship. As per PTI, Sonam said, "We are like sisters now. We cherish each other's success." Meanwhile, Anshu only smiled. It is believed that their bond only grew stronger when they became roommates at the national camp in Lucknow.

Anshu and Sonam deliver terrific results ahead of Tokyo Olympics

In the past 18 months, both Anshu Malik and Sonam Malik have been delivering terrific results not only at the national level but also at the international level. Anshu has won five medals in six international events, including a gold at the Asian Championship in Almaty. On the other hand, Sonam grabbed everyone's attention when she defeated veteran Sakshi Malik four times before qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics with a silver medal at the Asian Qualifiers.