2016 was my first but now I know the stakes, says Sakshi Malik

Of all the stars that had emerged in Rio Olympics in Brazil, Malik was one of the bigger surprises mainly because she was hardly a known name to the country. However, a bronze medal in Brazil pretty much changed her life, making her a household name overnight. And the 62kg category specialist has now stated that she is hoping for yet another medal in her second consecutive Olympics campaign and she has a better chance because she is now fully aware of the magnanimity of the prize.

"I want to be a double Olympic medallist. This time there is more excitement. In 2016, it was my first Olympics and I had very little idea about what was going around me. This time I know what is up for grabs. An Olympic medal changes your life," she added. "Before the medal at Rio Olympics nobody knew me and now the whole world knows me. People have expectations from me now," said Malik, reported Malik.

Malik has already earned her place in the World Championships, which has been scheduled to be held in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan from September 14 and would also be offering a quota for the 2020 Games. However, her main concern would be her erratic form in the last three-four international tournaments.

However, she stated that she has been fully aware of it and has been working hard towards ironing those flaws by practising in sessions to eliminate this drawback.

"There are some shortcomings in my game which I need to work on. I am losing matches in the final 10-12 seconds and I need to address that weakness. I am working hard so that my intensity remains the same till the end. It is important for me to survive and make sure that my lead is maintained," Sakshi added.