Haryana honours Malleswari, cheques pile up

While Malleswari’s employer, Food Corporation of India (FCI), has promised her Rs 5 lakh, the Union Government will pay her Rs 7 lakh for her performance. And how much will the Maharashtra government pay? Though Maharastra had fixed Rs 25 lakh for a bronze, sources say it later expressed its “desire” to pay her Rs 50 lakh. For that the government asked its citizens to contribute generously. But after a lukewarm response, sources say, the state may stick to the Rs 25-lakh offer.

So how will she spend her money? “I have not decided on that. I will think about it later,” says Malleswari. Asked to comment on her Crorepati status, her husband, Rajesh Tyagi, a former weightlifter, said: “It takes years of training to give such a performance at international events. There is no comparison between an hour-long game show and real-time events.” Any idea how they will spend the money? “No, we have not decided on it as yet. We plan to set up a weightlifting academy in Haryana,” quipped Rajesh.

Though the couple did not specifically answer whether she would take part in the next Olympics, they hinted that some “elements” in the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) would try their best to stop her. “If she had not been so tensed up about the selection, then she would have fetched a gold for the country,”said Rajesh. When Malleswari was asked to comment on the politicisation of sports, she evaded a reply.

Politics or no politics, today was her day. People came out in large numbers to see Haryana’s bahu being honoured by Chaudhary Chautala at the Chotu Ram Hospital. Though Union Sports Minister S.S. Dhindsa was the “guest of honour” for the closing ceremony of the State Games, she was the “star attraction”. Malleswari was overwhelmed when an elderly person came up to her and gifted a Rs-100 note. “I am so proud to receive this amount,” said she while passing it on to her in-laws who accompanied her.