Medal Tally and Honors of Sakshi Malik: Commonwealth Gold to Padma Shri

Sakshi Malik’s wrestling résumé reads like a timeline of Indian women’s sports milestones. Starting with a silver at the 2009 Junior Asian Championships (59 kg) and a bronze at the 2010 World Junior Championships, she quickly progressed to senior competitions.

Her senior breakthrough came with a bronze at the 2013 Commonwealth Championships, followed by a silver at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The historic moment arrived at the Rio 2016 Olympics, where she secured a bronze in the 58 kg class, becoming the first Indian female wrestler to stand on an Olympic podium.

Sakshi added Commonwealth gold medals in both the 2017 Championships and the 2022 Games, underscoring her sustained excellence. The Indian government recognized her contributions with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2016 and the civilian honor Padma Shri in 2017.

Beyond the mat, Sakshi has used her platform to advocate for clean sport and gender equality, participating in protests against alleged misconduct within the national wrestling federation in 2023. Her story exemplifies athletic brilliance coupled with social responsibility.