In a goodwill gesture, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today 're-initiated' the investiture ceremony seconds before its culmination to oblige a late-comer gymnast and handed over the citation and a medallion to her.
Sonia Sharma, who was adjudged the best sportsperson for 2003-04, had to leave her six-year-old son along with her husband in Noida to collect the prestigious award from the CM, but when she reached the venue her name had already been announced and function was about to end.
Though, she received the Silver award with a cash prize of Rs 25,000, the pain of not getting it from the CM himself forced her to request Omar to re-initiate the ceremony.
"I had to come from Delhi and my train was late. And then the auto-rickshaw brought me to the venue from a long route. In all this I was a bit late to the venue.
"I got the award, but not get it from the CM was something which I felt really sad about and when I went up the stage to get clicked for a group picture I told CM that I got the award but not from your hands and requested him to present me the award and it was nice to see him oblige me," Sonia told PTI.
"I had left my six-year-old son back home in Noida and come here only to receive the award from CM. But all my efforts would have gone waste if he would not have presented the trophy to me. I am so happy that he did it for me. He is really a nice human being," she added.
In all, 34 athletes of the state were awarded for their contribution to the sport in Jammu and Kashmir since 2002.
Sher-i-Kashmir awards were instituted in 1978. However, after the onset of militancy in the state, the awards were suspended with the last investiture ceremony being held in September 1991.
