Sania said such a recognition motivates a sportsperson to excel for the country
Sania Mirza
New Delhi: Tennis ace Sania Mirza is expected to receive the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award on Saturday despite the Karnataka High Court issuing notice to the Government of India following a petition filed by Paralympian H.N. Girisha.
A senior official in the Sports Ministry was quoted in the media as saying that the decision was final. “The Ministry will not make any last-minute changes to the awards list. Sania will get the Khel Ratna as per the awards committee’s recommendation. The decision is final,” the official said.
Furthermore, the official also confirmed that the Ministry has received the court notice on Thursday and will be filing its reply within the stipulated 15 days. “Yes, we have received the notice. The Ministry will frame its reply in due course after going through the contents of it. We will explain everything to the court,” the official added.
Sania said such a recognition motivates a sportsperson to excel for the country. “We play for the country and if the government gives recognition for our achievement, we feel a sense of pride. I thank the Sports Ministry for nominating me for the award. This will encourage and inspire me to do better. It is humbling for for me,” Sania said on the eve of the award function to be held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here.
( Source : PTI )
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