Ludhiana village eager to welcome its ‘golden’ girl

Sarbjit Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 24

Residents of Chakkar village in Ludhiana have their hands full with pugilist Mandeep Kaur Sandhu returning to her native place tomorrow.

All geared up to extend her a grand welcome, they have decided to bring her in an open jeep from Jagraon.

On Saturday, Mandeep became world junior boxing champion by winning gold in the 52-kg category in Taipei. Daughter of a farmer with meager resources, Mandeep is only 15-year-old and a student of Class XII in the Government Senior Secondary School of the village.

She has many national and international titles to her credit, the latest being a gold medal at the 4th Nations Cup in Serbia in January this year.

She is the fourth girl from the village to win medals at international competitions in boxing. Others are: Simranjit Kaur, Harpreet Kaur and Shivinder Kaur. Sukhdeep Singh, who also won silver at a boxing meet in Cyprus, also hails from this village.

A national champion in her category since 2011 at the junior level, Mandeep started boxing in 2007 when she was in Class III. “She came in the limelight in 2011 and has never looked back since then,” says her mother Daljit Kaur.

Her father Jagdev Singh credits two NRI brothers — Baldev Singh Sidhu and late Ajmer Singh Sidhu — who established Sher-e-Punjab Academy at the village for budding sportspersons. Sixty boys and girls are training in boxing at the academy, which is also equipped with latest facilities for those interested in football, hockey and other games.

To be part of Mandeep’s happiness, Baldev is also flying to Chakkar from Canada tomorrow.

Before being awarded cash prize, Mandeep will be honoured at a congregation in the village gurdwara. “We will announce the amount to be given on her arrival,” said Prof Balwant Singh, a local resident.

The village has fixed a cash award of Rs 50 lakh for anyone winning gold at the Olympics, Rs 30 lakh for silver, Rs 20 lakh for bronze and Rs 10 lakh for those participating in the Olympics.

Prof Balwant Singh said the village youth had won around 30 medals so far at national-level meets. “The academy was set up in 2007 and we have achieved major success in a short span. Now, our goal is to train everyone to win gold in the Olympics,” he added.