There was no time to think of controversies: Beenamol

There are two winners of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna this year - Asian Games gold medallist KM Beenamol will be sharing the award with shoot...

There are two winners of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna this year – Asian Games gold medallist KM Beenamol will be sharing the award with shooter Anjali Bhagwat. After completing her hard training at the NIS, Patiala centre here the middle-distance runner left for the Capital to prepare for tommorow’s ceremony.

Beenamol told The Indian Express that she had not expected the award. ‘‘I started my career in 1987 so it has been a long journey since then. Kabhi socha nahi tha ki ek din mujhe sports ka sabse bada award milega (I had never thought that I will get the sports’ biggest honour one day),’’ she said.

The athlete will be accompanied to the award function by her entire family – father KT Mathew, mother Kunjamma, and brothers Biju and Binu will be present at the Rastrapati Bhawan to witness a long-cherished dream being fulfilled. A proud Mathew said, ‘‘We were confident that she had it in her to emerge a world beater. Right from the age of seven, when she took to athletics for the first time in her life, she has been a winner all the way. And to be the first Khel Ratna winner from Kerala is a huge honour.’’

But this year the prize money for the Khel Ratna award will have to be shared by both the recepients. Beenamol is unruflled that the amount will be less than the sum that a Arjuna award winner will be getting. She said, ‘‘It’s only Rs 2.5 lakh since I will be sharing the honours with Anjali (Bhagwat). I am coming straight from the camp at NIS and will go back there. So there’s no time to think about it.’’

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