A report on struggles and hardships of Andhra Pradesh’s para athlete Deepthi Jeevanji who clinched the gold medal at the World Athletics Para Championship in Kobe, Japan, won The Indian Express journalist Nitin Sharma 14th Laadli Media & Advertising Awards for Gender Sensitivity 2025. He received the award at a ceremony in Mumbai on Wednesday.

The story details Deepthi’s struggles as a child when she would be scoffed at over her physical condition and the hardships faced by her father who works as an assistant with a truck driver.

The report also detailed how the family had to sell a piece of land to support Deepthi’s ambition to pursue athletics as a career option.

Heena Khandelwal of The Indian Express won the Jury Appreciation Citation for her feature on Kashish Sheikh, the lone wo

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