Rio 2016: Delhi Govt announces cash prize for Sakshi, Sindhu

New Delhi, Aug 20 (ANI): With Indian athletes Sakshi Malik and PV Sindhu bringing laurels to the nation in the Rio 2016 Olympics, the Delhi Government on Saturday announced Rs one crore and Rs. two crores respectively for both the champions. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government also offered a promotion to bronze medallist Sakshi Malik's father who works in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC). Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday recommended this for Sakshi's father Subir Malik, who works as a conductor in DTC, "One of our colleagues while working as a conductor, created such an atmosphere for his daughter so that she could raise the honour of the nation. I propose that apart from felicitating Sakshi Malik, the government should felicitate her family, especially her father. I recommend for the promotion of Sukhbir Malik for his contribution," Sisodia said. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had earlier congratulated Sakshi and lauded her for making the nation proud. After going down 2-9 against Russia's Valeriia Koblova in the quarter-finals, Sakshi received another chance at a medal via repechage and made full use of the second life by outplaying Mongolian wrestler Orkhon Purevdorj 12-3 to advance to the bronze-medal match. The 23-year-old Haryana girl clinched the bronze medal in the Women's Freestyle 58kg category with a spirited comeback victory over Aisuluu Tynybekova. Yesterday, PV Sindhu scripted history by becoming country's first shuttler to hand India an Olympic silver medal on Friday. After producing a spirited fight back to clinch the first game, the 21-year old lanky shuttler from Hyderabad failed to capitalize on it and went on to lose the next two games with a big margin against world no. 1 Carolina Marin in the women's singles event. "I am really happy. I am on cloud nine today. It has been a wonderful week for me even though I have got silver. Both of us really fought hard in the finals, but yes one should win and one would lose. It was her (Carolina Marin) day today. Overall it was a good game and I have settled with the silver. I am really happy about it," Sindhu, who scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman athlete to hand her country an Olympic silver medal, told in an exclusive interview to ANI. Sindhu has now become the second Indian player in badminton to win an Olympic medal after Saina Nehwal, who had clinched bronze in London four years ago. With the feat, Sindhu has also become the fifth Indian woman to clinch a medal in Olympics history after Karnam Malleswari, Mary Kom, Saina Nehwal and Sakshi Malik. (ANI)