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At 42, Deepa missed the London Paralympics but was presented with the Arjuna Award. "'What more could I ask for?' I wondered," says Malik. In 2016, at the Paralympic Games Rio Brazil, she was written off for being the most severely disabled and the oldest but she was met with huge success. Back home, she found herself faced with the accusation of cheating made by her opponent. I missed the most crucial 15 days of training and received horrendous messages on social media. Being a Paralympian became a point of clearing my name," she recalls.
