Tarn Taran diary: Striving for a long jump in career

Navpreet Kaur (17) is preparing for international-level games. Navpreet is an athlete who competes in the long-jump event. She won bronze medal in 2016 in the Punjab State School Games and then gold in the open state games in 2017. In 2018, she won gold in the Punjab State School Games and got silver in 2019. She participated in the junior national and also participated in the national games too. Under the guidance of coach Devinder Singh, Navpreet had been practising at the playground of SGAD Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Tarn Taran, twice in the day — morning and evening (for six hours). She got her schooling from this school from sixth to Class XII. At present, she is studying in BA (part one) at Khalsa College, Amritsar. She has to travel 45 km daily from her Chohan (Amritsar) village to have coaching in Tarn Taran. Navpreet comes from a farmer’s family. Her father Balwinder Singh and mother Paramjit Kaur are proud of her performance.

Boosting sports at grassroots level

Government Elementary School, Jhander, falling under the Naushehra Pannuan education block, is one of the few lucky government schools across the state from where five students (in pics) cleared sports trials conducted by the Punjab State Institute of Sports (PSIS), Mohali, recently. The PSIS is working in association with the Sports Authority of India to boost sports at the grassroots level, particularly the downtrodden sections. Of the five students who cleared the trials, two had been selected for rowing and three for judo games.

Bhushan Kumar, in-charge of Class V of the school, said Gurjant Singh and Simaranpreet Kaur had been selected for rowing while Ekamjit Singh, Simranjit Kaur and Simranjit Kaur were selected for judo. The students selected for rowing had been enrolled in Government Senior Secondary School, Roopnagar, and the students selected for judo in Government Senior Secondary School, Phase 5, Mohali. These students would be given free coaching, education and boarding and lodging facilities free of cost up to Class XII. A teacher, Bhushan Kumar, said under the supervision of Rajwinder Kaur, school head, all students from the pre-primary level do physical practice daily for half an hour.

Jagwinder Singh Lehri, District Education Officer (Elementary), said these students had brought laurels to their school and the district. The DEO also extended his best wishes to the selected students. He said sport atmosphere is being created in schools with the active cooperation of staff and school heads.

Turbaned glory

A Nihang Singh (Jagir Singh), a resident of Chutala village near Tarn Taran town, is no less than a celebrity when he is swarmed by people requesting him for a picture with him. Jagir Singh, who is often seen on Tarn Taran roads on his bicycle, comes from his village to pay obeisance at Darbar Sahib in Tarn Taran. He wears a giant turban, which is the centre of attraction. Jagir Singh wears a turban measuring too long. Jagir said he spends two hours on tying his turban and an equal amount of time on unwrapping it in the evening. He said he had started wearing the turban at the age of 10 and gradually added to its length and size over the time.

(Contributed by Gurbaxpuri)

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