Khel Ratna to Sakshi Malik who won the bronze medal in the 58 kg category, becoming the first Indian female wrestler to win a medal at the Olympics.
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“We have come a long way since my playing days. The help is there for top athletes but there is hardly anything happening at the grassroots”, Gopichand said.
“I am sure they will bring more medals for the country and continue to make India proud”. Find us on Facebook too! He then misspelt “Pride of India” Dipa Karmakar’s name on Twitter.
On receiving the gift, Sindhu said, “Last time, when I received the first auto – a Swift Dzire – from Sachin sir, he told me that he would present me with another vehicle if I won a medal at Olympics”. Over the years, last time [during last Olympics] we had a bronze [Saina Nehwal]. “But she played really well and was a deserving victor”.
Sindhu recalled that it was Chamundeswarnath who gifted her, her first auto a Swift Dezire. The prime minister asked state governments also to form such committees to see what could be done to improve performances in sports.
“She is a lot more expressive on court now but nowhere close to Carolina”.
Sindhu’s coach Gopichand, who has produced champions like London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal and China Open Superseries victor Kidambi Srikanth, spoke highly of the 21-year-old’s on-court attitude.
His latest round of gaffes made the Twitterati decide taht it was time to troll the minister again. We need to identify talent right from the school level. Medals are a byproduct of number of people playing.
Did you do anything different while coaching PV Sindhu for Rio?
“The best part was that we were isolated during the Games”. We have to work hard.
“Thanks to these three women, India didn’t lose face on the world stage”, said Gopichand.
“Overall it is my dream and it has come true that I had to get an Olympic medal”. I had faith in her and started to fully concentrate on her from 2010 onwards. How I messed it up there. “I thank my coach Gopichand for helping me get there”.
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“Dipa Karmakar told me herself that her coach began training her from the age of 6”. “I hope that Delhi government will take steps in this regard”. I remember being in Birmingham for All England, I did not have the money to stay in the official hotel.
