A pleased Vikas Gowda admitted that Wednesday’s Padma Shri award came as a complete surprise to him. “I did not expect it at all; it caught me off guard,” he told The Hindu from Phoenix, Arizona.
“I’m very happy. I’m proud of the stuff I’ve done in my career. I did it the right way. I’ve been able to compete at the top level consistently. There’s a lot more I could do but I’m proud of what I’ve done.”
Gowda stated that he had left the disappointment of the Rio Olympics behind. “The injury set me back a long way,” the 33-year-old discus thrower said. — Special Correspondent
