Three million cash reward for Shailaja Pujari
Syed Amin Jafri
The Andhra Pradesh government welcomed Shailaja Pujari and Neelam Setti Laxmi, who brought laurels to India at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, by announcing fabulous cash rewards on their return to Hyderabad on Wednesday.
The two weightlifters from the state were accorded a rousing reception at the Begumpet airport and later feted by Governor Dr C Rangarajan and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
Sports Minister P Ramulu received them at the airport. Shailaja and Laxmi went to Raj Bhavan and met the governor. He honoured them with shawls and said it is befitting that these medals were won at a time when Andhra Pradesh is going to host the National Games later this year.
The duo called on the chief minister at his residence. Naidu felicitated Shailaja, the winner of three gold medals in the 75-kg weightlifting, and Laxmi, who won three silver medals in the 69 kg category.
Hailing them as "the pride of Andhra Pradesh," he told them, "You will inspire many more success stories in the field of sports."
The chief minister presented them with mementoes and announced huge cash rewards for them. He said the state government decided to give Rs one million for each gold medal and Rs 750,000 for each silver won.
He said this is the second major success achieved by weightlifters from the state in international events. Earlier, Karnam Malleswari, who also hails from the state, had won a bronze medal in weightlifting at the Sydney Olympics.
Like Malleswari, Shailaja and Laxmi were also trained at Visakhapatnam.
Taking note of this success of the port city, Naidu announced that a weightlifting academy would be set up in Visakhapatnam to encourage new talent.
Thanking the state government for the honours and rewards bestowed on them, both Shailaja and Laxmi naratted their story of hard work, grit and determination, suffering and toil to reach this stage. Both hail from Srikakulam, a backward district in north coastal Andhra.
Recalling how poverty and unemployment had made her struggle even more difficult, the 20-year-old Shailaja pleaded with the chief minister to provide her a job so that she can help her family and fulfil her dream of winning an Olympic medal.
"I lost my father when I was three years old. We have gone through difficult times. My mother and I stay with my sister and her husband," Shailaja said.
She recalled how she developed interest in weightlifting in 1998 after watching kids lift weights in her hometown - Amadalavalasa.
Her achievement has become even more significant considering lack of proper facilities and poor diet at the Sports Authority of India hostel at Eluru in West Godavari district.
"My dream is to win an Olympic medal. I want to repeat the Commonwealth performance," she said.
Shailaja had won three gold medals each at the 2002 Junior Asian Championships in Thailand and the 2000 Junior Asian Championships in Korea. She also won a gold at 2001 National Games and was declared best woman lifter and strongest woman of India at 2002 National Women's Empowerment Meet.
