Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik always aimed for the Arjuna Award, but says that being conferred with the country's highest sporting honour - the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna - is beyond her wildest dreams. Along with the 23-year-old freestyle wrestler, badminton star PV Sindhu, artistic gymnast Dipa Karmakar and shooter Jitu Rai will also be honoured with the award.
Dipa is the first Indian female gymnast to compete at the Olympics and missed a medal by a whisker in Rio. She attained fourth position in women's vault gymnastics event. Jitu may have failed at the Olympics, but has brought laurels to India at world cups and other championships of the highest level.
The two medallists, Sakshi and Sindhu, received a hero's welcome on their return and have also been showered with cash prizes and gifts. The Khel Ratna will be icing on the cake for the athletes.
Sakshi says that the Khel Ratna has come as a pleasant surprise. "I had dreamt of going to the Olympics and winning a medal there. I always wanted to be called Arjuna Awardee Sakshi Malik, but had never thought of being a Khel Ratna," Sakshi was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
In Rio, Sakshi won the bronze medal in the 58 kg category, becoming the first Indian female wrestler to win a medal at the Olympics and the fourth female Olympic medallist from the country.
Sakshi had previously won the silver medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and the bronze medal at the 2015 Asian Wrestling Championships in Doha. She said that coming from a small town in Haryana, she always feels special to return to the country with a medal.
"I had left the country with the Indian contingent, but now the whole country is with me. Every athlete dreams of representing the country at the Olympics and to return home as a medallist is such a special feeling. In Rio, the medal seemed surreal, but after returning the feeling has sunk in," Sakshi said.
