NEW DELHI:

Sakshi Malik

, India’s bronze medalist at the 2016 Rio Olympics and a mentor to

Nisha Dahiya

, took to social media platform X to express support for her following a heartbreaking loss in the women’s freestyle 68 kg quarterfinal at the

Paris Olympics

on Monday.
Sakshi, emphasizing Nisha’s resilience and determination, stressed the wrestler’s disappointment over a missed medal opportunity rather than the injury itself.

“I just had a video call with Nisha Dahiya. She is definitely in pain, but her spirits are very high. She is only upset about the possibility of missing out on a medal. Just like you fought the bout despite your injury, the entire nation is proud of you, Nisha,” Sakshi wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Nisha, who started strong with an 8-1 lead against North Korea’s Sol Gum Pak, suffered a

dislocated finger

, necessitating repeated medical timeouts.

Despite her visible pain and a heavily taped finger, she bravely continued the match. However, Pak capitalized on the situation, ultimately winning 10-8 with a last-minute surge in the final 12 seconds.
Nisha’s journey in the tournament began with a strong 6-4 victory against Ukraine’s Tetiana Sova in the pre-quarterfinals. While the quarterfinal loss was a setback, Dahiya’s Olympic dream is not over.
Should Pak advance to the final, Nisha will have an opportunity to compete for a bronze medal through the

repechage round

. This scenario keeps her and India’s medal hopes alive.