PM Modi hosts National Sports awardees

New Delhi, Aug 28 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Moditoday hosted the National Sports awardees, including RioOlympics silver medallist PV Sindhu and bronze winner SakshiMalik, at his 7 Race Course Road residence here. The PM greeted the athletes on the eve of the NationalSports Day. Besides shuttler Sindhu and wrestler Sakshi, aceshooter Jitu Rai and trailblazing gymnast Dipa Karmakar werealso in attendance. All the four athletes will be conferred with theprestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award by President PranabMukherjee here tomorrow. Sindhu scripted history by winning the silver in women’ssingles badminton while Sakshi took the bronze in women’s 58kgfreestyle category at the Rio Games. In a first in Indian sports, Dipa finished fourth inartistic gymnastics at Rio. While Jitu has won over half adozen medals in the past two years. "I showed him my medal and he was very happy. Hecongratulated me and said you did really well and made thecountry proud. That really made my day. It was a pleasuretalking to him and I felt very happy," said Sindhu aftermeeting the PM. Talking about her Olympic glory, she said, "It is greatfeeling to have won an Olympic medal. It was my dream and ithas come true. I am very happy. I am thankful to everybody,Gopi sir, my parents. I am really thankful to the Governmentas they have been very supportive and also to the sponsors." When asked what did the Prime Minister tell her, Sakshi,who burst into the limelight with her bronze medal in Rio,said, "Prime Minister said to me ‘maarna mat mujhe’ (I hopeyou won’t hit me) and I told him that we wrestlers are veryaggressive on the mat but off it, we are very soft hearted." Asked if the feeling of winning an Olympic medal hassunk in, Sakshi said: "I couldn’t believe it when I was inRio. But now it has started to sink in. I am getting a lot oflove and everyone has made me feel very special." The 23-year-old Sakshi, who was sporting a ‘Rio 2016’pendent, said it was gifted to her by Gopichand’s sister inHyderabad earlier in the day. Sports Minister Vijay Goel, who was also present on theoccasion, said, "All the Khel Ratna awardees, Arjuna awardees,Dhayanchand awardees, Dronacharya awardees, Tenzing Norgayawardees met the Prime Minister today and it also included thetwo medallists from the Rio Olympics — PV Sindhu and SakshiMalik." PTI AH CMAH