UAE-based businessman announces cash prize for Paralympics heroes

New Delhi: Paralympians, including shotputter Deepa Malik and jevelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia, will be bestowed with cash awards for their medal-winning performance at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.

An Indian businessman, Mukkattu Sebastian has announced a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakhs for Jhajharia and high jumper T Mariyappan, who won gold medals at the Rio paralympics.

Sebastian, who is based in UAE for four decades, also announced Rs. 3 lakh for Deepa, who won the silver medal and 2 lakhs for high jumper Varun Singh Bhati for winning the bronze medal at the Rio paralympics.

"The awards will be presented by the Hon Chief Minister of Kerela, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan, on january 20th, 2017 at 2:30 pm; the ceremony will be hosted at St. Joseph Higher Secondary school, Trivandrum," Sebastian said in a release.

Jhajharia became India's second gold medal winner at the Rio Paralympics after he broke his own world record with a throw of 63.7m in the men's F46 Javelin Throw, while Mariyappan won the gold in the men's high jump T?42 event, with a leap of 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in).

Deepa won the silver medal in the women's shotput F53 event with a personal best throw of 4.61m, while Varun Bhati, clinched the bronze medal in the men's high jump T-42 event with a personal best jump of 1.86 metres.

Earlier, Sebastian had announced a cash prize of Rs 50 lakh for India's silver-medalist ace shuttler P V Sindhu and Rs 25 lakh for wrestler Sakshi Malik for winning the bronze medal at the Rio Olympics 2016.