Sakshi Malik gets warm welcome, felicitated by Haryana govt

Olympic bronze medal winning wrestler Sakshi Malik arrived here this morning to a grand welcome amid scenes of jubilation and loud cheers from scores of people at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Sakshi was greeted by her parents and relatives at the airport after she touched down in the Capital at the wee hours.

"I want to thank each and everyone for such a warm welcome. so happy to see so many people cheering for me. I also want to thanks all those who prayed for me, which helped me win the medal for my country," Sakshi said upon her arrival.

Sakshi then travelled to Bahadurgarh in Jhajjar district, where Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar along with his senior cabinet colleagues Capt Abhimanyu and O P Dhankar, among others, welcomed the star athlete.

At the grand felicitation function at Bahadurgarh, Sakshi was handed a cheque of Rs 2.5 crore by the Chief Minister. She was also appointed as Haryana's brand ambassador for 'Beti Padhao-Beti Bachao' programme.

"It was my dream to win an Olympic medal and I worked really hard for that. Now that I have won it, it seems as if I am living my dream," she added.

"As I hugged my father and showed him my medal, tears rolled down his cheeks. My family was very emotional and they were very happy to see me. Some were getting emotional and some were smiling. I was really happy," she said.

Sakshi thanked her parents, coaches and fellow wrestlers for inspiring and supporting her.