President Murmu Presents PM Rashtriya Bala Puraskar to AP Skater Jessy Raj

Vijayawada: Young international skater Mathrapu Jessy Raj, hailing from Mangalagiri in the Guntur district, has received the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bala Puraskar from the President Droupadi Murmu.

The award ceremony was held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre in New Delhi on Thursday.

A class 9 student at the NSM Public School in Vijayawada, Jessy Raj was a part of the Indian Skating team and she recently bagged a gold medal in the World Artistic Skating Championship held in New Zealand. As a result, she was selected for the PM Award 2025.

After receiving the award, Jessy Raj interacted with President Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During the interaction, the two leaders appreciated Jessy Raj’s outstanding performance in Skating.

“It is a moment of immense pride for Andhra Pradesh that Mangalagiri’s talented skater, Jessy Raj Mathrapu, has been chosen for the PM’s National Child Award 2025 in recognition of her outstanding achievements in sports,” Naidu stated.

Jessy Raj said she was very happy to receive the prestigious Puraskar. I keep in mind the exciting moments while interacting with President Murmu and the Prime Minister.

With encouragement from minister Nara Lokesh, Jessy Raj applied for the award from the Guntur district. Out of five children, Jessy Raj, daughter of Suresh and Radha, has been selected for the award from AP.

Mathrapu started her journey as a skater when she was nine years old. Jessy debuted at the national level and astounded audiences and competitors with her flawless performances. She clinched top positions consecutively, earning medals at the 59th national-level competitions held in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Recently, Jessy Raj added another medal to her collection by winning a silver in the Solo Dance category at the 62nd National Roller Skating Championships at Pollachi in Tamil Nadu from Dec 5 to 10. More than a thousand athletes from across the country participated in the competition, where Jessy Raj represented Andhra Pradesh in the 14-17 age category.

Photo caption: President Droupadi Murmu presents Prime Minister’s National Child Award-2025 to skater Jessey Raj Mathrapu from Mangalagiri in Andhra Pradesh for her outstanding achievements in sports from during a programme in Delhi on Saturday.