The Haryana government has announced a cash reward of Rs. 4 crore for Deepa Malik, who scripted history by winning silver in the women's shot put F53 event at the ongoing Paralympics in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro.
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The 45-year-old athlete, hailing from Haryana's Sonipat district, became the country's first ever woman to win a medal at the Paralympics when she threw her personal best of 4.61m at the Olympic Stadium. She will receive the cash prize under the new sports policy of Haryana for her feat.
This is India's third medal at these Games after Mariyappan Thangavelu and Varun Singh Bhati bagged gold and bronze in the men's high jump-T42 event, respectively.
Deepa, the oldest member of Indian contingent, was confined to a wheelchair in 1999 owing to a spinal tumour which made her paralysed from waist down.
In addition to the Rio feat, she is the current Asian record holder in the javelin throw, and has won silver in the shot put and discus throw events at the 2011 World Championships, respectively.
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