Prime Minister Narendra Modi  felicitated Rio Paralympics medal winner Deepa Malik with a cash award of Rs 4 crore. Malik, who hails from Haryana, was the first Indian woman athlete to win a medal at the Paralympics in Rio. She won a silver medal in the women’s shot put event with a throw of 4.61m at the Paralympics.

Modi, who was sitting on a dais along with Haryana Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki and Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, came down and walked a few steps to honour Malik, who was on a wheelchair.

Modi handed over the cheque to Malik in the presence of Khattar and Haryana’s Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Anil Vij
Earlier speaking at the event, Modi said girls from Haryana have made India proud at the world stage on multiple occasions. Let every citizen of Haryana pledge to protect girl child.

Complimenting the state for substantial improvement in sex ratio, Modi said he is grateful to females and elders of Haryana for responding to his appeal of ‘beti bachao, beti padhao’.

About Deepa Malik:

Deepa Malik (born 30 September 1970) is an Indian athlete. She has won accolades for her participation in various adventure sports. She is associated with Himalayan Motorsports Association (H.M.A.) and Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (F.M.S.C.I.). She has undertaken an 8 day, 1700-km drive in sub-zero temperatures which included a climb to 18000 feet. It was – Raid De Himalaya. This journey covers many difficult paths including remote Himalayas, Leh, Shimla and Jammu.

Malik is the wife of a veteran cavalier Colonel Bikram Singh and daughter of a veteran Infantry Colonel BK Nagpal. She is the mother of two adult daughters- Devika and Ambika.
She is a member of the working group in the formulation 12th five- year plan (2012–2017) on Sports and Physical Education as nominated by the Planning Commission HRD Division on behalf of the Sports Ministry.