25-time MAKA Trophy winner Guru Nanak Dev University nurturing sports

Neha Saini

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Amritsar, January 10

Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) has bagged the prestigious Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy for the record 25th time for excellence in sports achievements in the year 2022-23. The feat shows that the university is on path to revive sports culture in Punjab which is reeling under drug menace.

The prestigious trophy, constituted in 1956-57, is awarded every year by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to universities after assessing various parameters, including the strength of sports programme, number of national/international athletes and sportspersons, their achievements and sports infrastructure.

A special ceremony was held to celebrate the achievement on the GNDU campus. The event was presided over by Punjab Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, who announced a grant of Rs 25 lakh for the GNDU.

Seats for players

We have reserved two seats in each course for sportspersons. We have a flexible examination system to facilitate their training and tournament schedules. — Jaspal Singh Sandhu, VC, GNDU

Lauding the GNDU’s sports culture, he said to counter drug use and engage youth in sports, special sports nurseries would be set up in each district in the coming year. “We have already prepared the roadmap for it. Trials will be conducted in the nurseries and sports training will be offered free of cost. A grant of up to Rs 50 lakh will be given to the nurseries for infrastructure,” he said.

GNDU’s sports director Kanwar Mandeep Singh said, “Punjab has often been targeted for drug problem, but it’s a global issue. The need is to expand the sports infrastructure so that it can reach 70 per cent of the youth in rural areas. Even if they don’t pursue specific sports, the aim should be to attain physical fitness.”

GNDU’s sporting legacy includes producing six Padma Shri awardees, 38 Arjuna awardees, two Dronacharya awardees and 44 Maharaja Ranjit Singh awardees, headlined by sporting icons Surinder Singh Sodhi (hockey) and Bishen Singh Bedi. The most recent Arjuna awardees from the GNDU are Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar (shooting) and Prachi Yadav (para canoe champion). Athletes from GNDU bagged 13 medals for India at the Asian Games held in Hangzhau, China, last year.

GNDU Vice-Chancellor Professor Jaspal Singh Sandhu said, “We have reserved two seats in each course here for sportspersons. We have established a flexible examination system to facilitate their training and tournament schedules.”

An example of that is shooter Sift Kaur, Asian Games gold medalist, who left the MBBS programme to pursue her passion in shooting. She is currently pursuing a course in Bachelor of Physical Education from the GNDU.

Besides offering fee exemption in academic programmes to national athletes, the GNDU also provides free board and training, sports equipment, travel and uniform to them.