Olympian Abhinav Bindra and Paralympian Deepa Malik honoured at UK-India awards

India's sporting legends, Abhinav Bindra and Deepa Malik, were recognized with Special Recognition Awards at the prestigious UK-India Awards 2024, held at Fairmont Windsor Park near London.

The ceremony, organized by the India Global Forum (IGF), celebrated individuals who have made significant global impacts.

Abhinav Bindra, India's first individual Olympic gold medallist, shared his vision for India potentially hosting the Olympics. "For a global sport like the Olympics, it makes complete sense to have a closer relationship with the world's largest population. Every fourth or fifth person in the world is in India, so there's a lot of synergy there," he said.

Deepa Malik, the first Indian woman Paralympic medallist, expressed optimism about India's performance in the Paralympics. "In Paralympics, India's journey to Paris 2024 is going to be far better than Tokyo 2020. I do see potential there for medals to grow," she added.

The event also honored social crusader Arunachalam Muruganantham with the 'Global Indian Icon Award' for his revolutionary work in menstrual hygiene, famously depicted in the film 'Pad Man'. The 'Lifetime Contribution to UK-India Relations' award was presented to Lord Anthony Bamford, founder of JCB, acknowledging his profound impact on bilateral relations.

The UK-India Awards, a culmination of the IGF London summit, recognized leaders across various sectors including business, culture, and research.