While the announcement of the nomination for the Padma Shri might have come as a surprise to Prashanti Singh , the Varanasi girl, who is a basketball player and has participated and captained the Indian team in many international championships, went well-prepared to receive the award. President Ram Nath Kovind presented the Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awards at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi on Saturday. “I wanted to wear a pure Banarasi sari for the ceremony. So, my mom, who accompanied me along with my brother for the ceremony, brought a pure Banarasi sari which I could wear for the auspicious occasion. Banarasi sari pehen ke Padma Shri award lena ka mazaa hi alag tha. Earlier people were suggesting that I should either wear linen or Kanjiwaram sari for the ceremony but I wanted to wear a Banarasi sari for which my hometown is known for. Yes, Banarasi paan bhi famous hai but that I couldn’t eat while receiving the award,” chuckles an excited Prashanti while talking to us on the phone soon after the ceremony. Dedicating this award to her mother, Prashanti says, “I had to dedicate this highest civilian award to my mother as she has been my pillar of strength from childhood. She has done so much for all of the family that yeh award toh unko deciate karna hi banta tha.”Prashanti Singh with mother Urmila and brother Vikrant at the ceremony (BCCL)Telling us about the night before the award, when she met other awardees, Prashanti says, “When all the awardees met for dinner, I think I was the youngest awardee among them all. In fact, they all were pulling my leg asking my age but then I told them please ask my work experience in the field of sports and not my age as I was way too young compared to the other awardees present there. Ideally one should always consider the work experience of a sportsperson from childhood because all of us start training at a very young age. We have to lead a disciplined life from when we are kids. I started training at the age of eight. Maine saara bachpan training mein dedicate kar diya. I was so busy with sports, that I never attended any family wedding and also I didn’t know half of my relatives. It is now that I am meeting them. So itni tough life hoti hai hamari.”Prashanti Singh with family and friends (BCCL)However, the highlight of the ceremony for Prashanti was meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “He met me personally towards the end of the ceremony. When we went for a photograph inside the Ashoka Hall, he smiled and said, ‘Aur bhai, Kashi mein ab tumhara stadium bann raha hai ya nahi?’ He even asked me to encourage youngsters in Banaras and the whole of Uttar Pradesh to play sports. Towards the end of the conversation I told him thank you Saansad ji and he laughed out loud. Narendra Modi ji was not meeting me like a Prime Minister instead he was really pally with me,” she said.

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