T Mariyappan, who raised Indian flag high during Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro was today honoured by Tamil Nadu government with Chief Minister O Panneerselvam presenting him with Rs 2 crore reward, announced by his predecessor late Jayalalithaa.
Panneerselvam presented a cheque for Rs 2 crore to the athlete, who hails from Salem district in the state, an official release said.
Jayalalithaa had announced the reward of Rs 2 crore for Mariyappan for clinching the gold in the high jump event at the Paralympics in September last.
21-year-old Mariyappan, who was merely a five-year-old when his right leg was crushed by a speeding bus while on his way to school, had cleared 1.89 m to become only the third Indian ever to clinch a Paralympic gold.
Panneerselvam also presented a cheque for Rs 2 crore to Tamil Nadu Tennis Association President M A Alagappan as the state government's contribution for the popular tennis tournament ATP Chennai Open, being held here from Jan 2-8.
The state government is the 'Lead Platinum Sponsor' for the tournament, being held here since 1997, an official release here said.
The association had in 2012 made a plea to then Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for financial assistance to the tournament and since then the state government had been sanctioning Rs 2 crore annually.
(With inputs from PTI)
