Saina Nehwal ‘hurt’ and ‘sad’ for not receiving promised cash award on winning medal at Olympics’12

Saina Nehwal said she is "hurt and sad" that she is yet to receive award promised by the AP government for winning bronze medal at 2012 Olympics.

New Delhi, Jul 24: Star Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal on Thursday said she is “hurt and sad” that she is yet to receive the Rs.50 lakh cash award promised by the Andhra Pradesh state government for winning the bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics. The 24-year-old, who has skipped the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, congratulated tennis star Sania Mirza for being named the brand ambassador of India’s 29th and newest state Telangana.

Saina’s comments came after Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao Tuesday announced a Rs.1 crore cash grant for Sania towards her training. “I am happy to know that sania mirza has become the brand ambassador of telangana and I am proud of telangana but I am very hurt and sad that I have still not received the cash award from my state for the Olympic bronze medal that I won for my country,” tweeted the Hyderabadi.

The then chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh N. Kiran Kumar Reddy had announced the cash award for Saina while congratulating her personally on winning the Olympic medal.