Indian Para-athlete Deep Malik, who clinched a silver medal in Shot Put at the recently concluded 2016 Paralympics Games at  Rio, was felicitated  by Malik Gathwala Khap  today at Swami Nitya School, Rohtak. Deepa is the first Indian woman para athlete to win a medal at the Paralympics.

 

The felicitation was held to honour Deepa for her recent achievement at the Rio games, making her the pride of the community globally. Being a ‘Khap Beti’ herself, she was invited at the event in her RIO track suit and was asked to wear her Silver medal as a moment of pride. A significant example of ‘power of sports’ and how it is pivotal in changing mind sets, moving away from bias based on gender or disability.

 

Deepa, who has her own NGO ‘Wheeling Happiness’- works towards promoting sports for differently-abled individuals. On the felicitation ceremony Deepa said,”Who says the Haryana rural heads are not progressive, I have been time and again encouraged and felicitated by the village khap and given a Mace (gadda) a male dominated trophy given to body builders saying zindagi ke aakhade me bal dikhane ke liye. They call me apni beti and not bahu, they call me gaaon ka sher…. I see so much acceptance”