Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik slams Haryana government

Sakshi Malik
Malik won the bronze in 58kg freestyle category and was one of the two medal winners for the country

What’s the story

Rio Olympics bronze medal winner Sakshi Malik has slammed the Haryana government on Twitter, saying they have failed to fulfil the promises made after her historic performance in the Summer Games. The wrestler was promised a host of rewards and incentives from the government, however, they haven’t been fulfilled apparently.

"Medal ka vada maine pura kiya, Haryana sarkar apna vada kab pura karegi? (I fulfilled my promise of winning an Olympic medal, when will Haryana government fulfil its promise?)," she went on to tweet.

The Context

Prior to the Games, the Haryana government had announced special cash prizes for medal winners. Rs. 6 crores for gold medallists, Rs. 4 crores for silver and Rs. 2.5 crores for bronze medal winners.

Malik won the bronze in 58kg freestyle category and was one of the two medal winners for the country, along with PV Sindhu, at the Rio Olympics. Upon her return to the country, the wrestler was promised cash rewards of upto at least Rs 3.5 crore from the Haryana government.

The wrestler was also conferred with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in August last year.

The Details

In the tweets, the 24-year-old questioned government’s credibility, claiming she is not sure whether the promises were made just for the media to take note of. The wrestler even went on to say that she delivered on her promise of winning a medal for the country, but the government has failed to deliver on theirs.

Surprisingly, last year in September, it was reported that Malik’s coach didn’t receive the cash award he was due to receive as well.

What’s Next

The tweet from Rio medallist is sure to ruffle some feathers in the Haryana government ranks and hopefully, she will be presented with the rewards and incentives promised to her previously.

Sportskeeda’s Take

The wrestler’s frustration at the government is completely justified as huge announcements were made when her exploits in Brazil were fresh in everyone’s minds. However, as the tweets reveal, she is yet to receive the rewards and the government needs to make sure that the promises are fulfilled as soon as possible.

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Edited by Staff Editor