Sports minister Kiren Rijiju sanctions Rs 5 lakh for wushu player who was forced to work as farm labourer

Shiksha, a Haryana-based wushu player, will receive Rs 5 lakh from sports minister Kiren Rijiju  

New Delhi: Union sports minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday (July 30) sanctioned Rs 5 lakh for Shiksha, a Haryana-based wushu player, who was forced to work as a farm labourer due to severe financial distress in times of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

According to a release issued by the sports ministry, the 22-year-old athlete, who has won 24 gold medals at the state Wushu Championship, was sanctioned the money through the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons.

Shiksha, who is also pursuing her BSc in sports science said she is grateful to the sports minister for his intervention. "I don't have words to thank the Sports Minister for his noble gesture and sending across Rs 5 lakh at a time like this," she said.

"I am absolutely determined to get back to my training at the earliest and it's so good to see such a proactive minister who cares for the athletes. I promise everyone that within a year, I will win a gold medal for the country," she added.