Telangana government on Saturday announced cash reward of Rs 5 crore to Olympic silver medalist in women’s badminton singles P V Sindhu.
The 21-year-old from Hyderabad crumbled under the relentless pressure created by Spain’s Carolina Marin to lose 21-19, 12-21, 15-21 in a pulsating final that lasted for an hour and 23 minutes on Friday night.
After chairing a state cabinet meeting at Secretariat here, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao said it has been decided to provide Rs 5 crore cash reward and 1,000 yards of land to Sindhu.
Besides KCR also offered the ace shuttler a government job, if she is willing to do. “There is a need to encourage sports personalities. Like Sania Mirza, who brought laurels by winning several tournaments after encouragement by the government, we hope Sindhu will also bring many laurels by winning many more tournaments in the future. She is coming to Hyderabad on August 22. The Cabinet has decided to accord her a grand reception,” Rao told reporters.
The Chief Minister also announced cash reward of Rs 1 crore to Sindhu’s coach P Gopichand and praised his efforts to produce shuttlers who are in the world top-50 like Saina Nehwal, P Kashyap and others.
Rao also said the Cabinet decided to give cash reward of Rs 1 crore to grappler Sakshi Malik, who won bronze at the Rio Olympics.
Sindhu, the two-time World championship bronze medallist, became the first Indian woman to clinch a Silver in the Olympics and fifth woman player from India to win a medal in the quadrennial games.
[PTI]