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Malleswari collects cash rewards
of Rs 6 million

Syed Amin Jafri in Hyderabad

The Andhra Pradesh government Friday felicitated Olympic bronze medal winner, Karanam Malleswari, at a glittering public ceremony at the Lal Bahadaur stadium in the state capital.

Malleswari, the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal, won the only medal that came India's way at Sydney.

Thousands of people had gathered in the sprawling Lal Bahadur stadium since morning and amidst lusty cheering, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced cash rewards and other incentives totalling Rs 6 million for the 25-year-old.

The awards included Rs 1 million in cash, a residential plot in upmarket Jubilee Hills area and another Rs 250,000 as construction expenses.

The state government also promised a one-acre site of her choice in Hyderabad or Rangareddy district for starting a weight-lifting academy.

The chief minister said Godavari Fertilisers, Nagarjuna Fertilisers and the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation have pledged Rs 200,000 each for the academy, while the Global Trust Bank and the Andhra Pradesh Paper Mills have chipped in with Rs 100,000 each.

The chief minister, who was all praise for Malleswari, asked her not to retire from the game and hoped she would bring back a gold next time.

"Unless you get the gold, you must not look back. I have immense faith in you...you will definitely rise to the expectations of the people," he told a visibly moved Malleswari.

Naidu admitted that sports is a neglected area in India. He said there is a need to give a big boost sports and added that his government is doing its best to encourage sports activity in the state.

His government, he said, has increased the state's sports budget from Rs 40 million to Rs 30.5 million per annum.

"India with its population of 1 billion should produce a large number of sportsmen and sportswomen. But unfortunately, we are lagging behind. We need to think ahead in this regard," Naidu said.

Karanam Malleswari on her part attributed her medal-winning feat to all the sportspersons in the country. "I don't know how to speak at a public function. I only know how to lift weights. But I would like to say that this victory is not just mine, it is the victory of the entire Indian sports community," she said.

Governor Dr C Rangarajan said the bronze at the Sydney Olympics came at the top of Karanam's achievements at the state, national, Asian and world championships.

He said that it was saddening to note that a country as vast as India could manage only one medal. "It is not as if talent in not available. Our failure has been to nurture and groom the talent. If we need to do better in the field of sports, we need to formulate a well defined policy for promoting sports," he said.

"Malleswari's achievement gives us hope. A woman from a remote village in Andhra Pradesh has today become a world renowned figure. That shows the potential that exists in the country. Malleswari has many more years of active participation in sports left in her. The best way of promoting excellence is to honour people of excellence. That is what we have done today," Dr Rangarajan said.

Earlier in the day, Malleswari was accorded a rousing reception at the Hyderabad Airport when she arrived from Delhi in the morning.

She was taken in a procession to the Raj Bhavan, where she met Governor Dr C Rangarajan.

Later, she called on the chief minister at his Jubilee Hills residence.

In the afternoon, she was taken out in a "victory procession" from Tank Bund to Lal Bahadur stadium.

The state government had declared a holiday for all schools in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secundrabad to enable students to participate in the celebrations.

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