(L-R) Deepak Punia, Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia
Ravinder Saini
Rohtak, August 6
Three gold medals in one evening in Birmingham swelled India’s gold count from six to nine at the Commonwealth Games — all three gold were won by wrestlers from Haryana.
Sakshi Malik from Rohtak and Bajrang Punia and Deepak Punia from Jhajjar clinched gold medals in their respective weight categories on Friday night, and residents of the two districts are elated over their marvellous performance.
There were celebrations and distribution of sweets, and the family members of the wrestlers joined in the cheering and dancing as soon as they won their bouts. The celebrations continued on Saturday, the family members distributing sweets among visitors and well-wishers congratulating them.
Sakshi’s mother Sudesh said her daughter made them proud again by winning gold in Birmingham. It was a breathtaking win, with Sakshi overcoming a four-point deficit to pin her opponent Ana Godinez to finish the bout.
“It is her third medal in the Commonwealth Games. We were quite confident about her performance as she had been toiling hard for this prestigious tournament. She promised us she’d win gold when we dropped her at the airport to go to Birmingham,” said Sudesh Malik.
“I talked to my daughter over the phone before the bouts on Friday and she was full of confidence about clinching gold this time,” said Sakshi’s father, Sukhbir Malik. “She did it, too. When she returns from Birmingham, Sakshi will be welcomed from the airport to home in style.”
The whole of Chhara, the native village of Deepak Punia, erupted in joy as soon as he clinched the gold
Continued on page 6
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