Chennai student bags national award

CHENNAI: K Aarathy, a class IX student of Bhavan's Rajaji Vidhyashram School, Kilpauk, has received the National Child Award for Exceptional Achievement for 2008. The 14-year-old's roller-skating skills won her a silver medal and a cash prize of Rs 10,000.
Aarathy received the award in New Delhi on Tuesday from Sonia Gandhi, chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance, in the presence of Renuka Chowdhary, minister of state for women and child development, and A Raja, union minister for communications and information technology.
Aarathy has won several national and international roller-skating competitions, including the National Roller Skating Championships held in Faridabad in January this year and the Asian Roller Skating Championships held in China in October 2008. Her collection of 70 medals in ice skating and inline skating include 57 gold, 8 silver and 5 bronze.
Every year, one child from each state in India is selected to receive the National Child Award for Exceptional Achievement in various fields, including arts, culture, sports and academics.