Congratulatory messages have started coming in bulk after India ace boxer Mary Kom and badminton star PV Sindhu were nominated on Saturday for the Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan awards, respectively.
“Congratulations to all those who have been conferred the Padma Awards. The awardees include extraordinary individuals who have made exceptional contributions to our society, nation and humanity,” tweeted India PM Narendra Modi.
Congratulations to all those who have been conferred the Padma Awards. The awardees include extraordinary individuals who have made exceptional contributions to our society, nation and humanity. https://t.co/POdpBsPtq4
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 25, 2020
Paralympian Deepa Malik tweeted: “Heartiest congratulations Mary Kom for Padma Vibhushan , you are unstoppable , PV Sindhu for Padma Bhushan, blessings for more to come, Rani Rampal for Padma Shri.. girl you have just begun . Thanking each one of you for making every Indian proud and being my inspiration.”
Heartiest congratulations @MangteC for Padma Vibhushan , you are unstoppable , @Pvsindhu1 for Padma Bhushan, blessings for more to come, @imranirampal for Padma Shri.. girl you have just begun . Thanking each one of you for making every Indian proud and being my inspiration.
— Deepa Malik (@DeepaAthlete) January 26, 2020
Talking about Mary Kom, the pugilist won bronze at the 2012 London Olympics and has won gold at the boxing World Championships for a record six times. She has won a total of eight medals at the World Championships, the most recent of which came in October 2019 in Ulan Ude, Russia. The 36-year-old is now looking to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Meanwhile, Sindhu became the only Indian woman to win an Olympic silver when she reached the final of the women’s singles event at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazi. In August last year, the 24-year-old became the first Indian to win gold at the badminton World Championships.
(With stats and inputs from IANS)