Entire Khap Came To Receive Me: Paralympic Silver Medalist Deepa Malik To NDTV

New Delhi: Rio Paralympics silver medallist Deepa Malik, who landed back home in the wee hours of Saturday morning, couldn't have asked for a better homecoming party. Nearly 200 people from her village in Haryana had come to receive her.

"They say women are not encouraged to take up sports in Haryana. I don't know about that. When I came back from Rio, 200 people from my village, the entire Khap got came to receive me. They gifted me a gada (mace) for making the village proud," said Ms Malik, who has become the first Indian female medallist at the Paralympic Games.

"The honour is usually reserved for men. For them to give it to me, a disabled woman, is a really big deal," she said at NDTV's Youth For Change Conclave this evening. Ms Malik was speaking during the session 'How passionate is the next generation about sports?'

Ms Malik's personal best throw of 4.61 metres in the women's shot put F-53 final helped India win silver at the Games.

The 46-year-old, recipient of the Arjuna Award, is a paraplegic - paralysed from waist down - and mother of two and wife of an Army officer.

A spinal tumour left her paralysed waist-below in 1999. The tumour had to be operated and 31 surgeries were conducted on her which got healed after 183 stitches between her waist and legs. After six years of being in the wheelchair, she turned to para-sports.

Besides shot put, Ms Malik has participated in javelin throw, swimming and has also been a motivational speaker.