WELL DONE DEEPA MALIK: Haryana govt announces INR 4 crore reward, job for Paralympic medallist

Chandigarh: Haryana Sports and Youth Affairs Minister, Anil Vij, on Saturday announced a cash award of Rs four crore for Paralympics medalist Deepa Malik, at par with medal-winners at the Olympic Games.

The Minister, who was welcoming the athlete at IGI Airport in New Delhi, said it was a matter of pride for Haryana that a sportsperson from the state had bagged a medal at the Paralympic Games as well.

Vij further said that Deepa Malik would also be given a government job as per her educational qualifications.

Malik (45), hailing from Sonipat in Haryana, became the first Indian woman athlete to win medal at Paralympics. She won a silver medal in the women's shotput event with a throw of 4.61m at the Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Deepa, was confined to a wheelchair in 1999 owing to a spinal tumour which paralysed her from waist down. Under the new sports policy of Haryana, the state government would give her Rs 4 crore for winning silver medal in Paralympics.