Dimapur (Nagaland), Oct 9: Olympic freestyle wrestling bronze medallist Sakshi Malik has batted for the development of a proper sports infrastructure in Nagaland on her maiden visit to the state.

Malik, who was with her wrestler husband and Arjuna awardee Satyawrat Kadian in Dimapur, Nagaland on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of St. Mary’s Higher Secondary School, said that the sport in Nagaland requires greater exposure, while calling on the state government to provide the facilities for the same.

Malik, who is a brand ambassador of the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign in Haryana, said that she wants to promote wrestling as a sport and equally wishes for women to take up the sport notwithstanding the societal barriers.

“I started wrestling when I was 12 and there were only a few girls, so I was trained with boys mostly,” said Malik.

Malik, however, said that the absence of girls during training did not stop her from following her passion.

Kadian, on the other hand, opined that there is a tendency of sportspersons getting recognised and supported only after winning at a major event.

“Sportspersons get support only after winning. If only sportspersons (irrespective of the sport discipline) receive as much support for training and competing,” Kadian said, while referring to the infrastructural and financial appropriated to sports in other countries. (ANI)