City judoka to represent country in Asian Games

Sumeer Singh

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, June 11

Harshdeep Singh (20), a city-based judoka, has been selected for the Asian Games to be held in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Harshdeep will be part of the Indian contingent to Asian Games that would commence on August 18.

He gave an emphatic performance in the selection trials conducted for the games at Rohtak on Sunday.

Elated over his feat, Dev Singh Dhaliwal, Secretary of the Punjab Judo Association and his coach, said, “It indeed is a special moment and great achievement for the state. The credit for the success goes to the perseverance and hard work put in by Harshdeep, who delivered power-packed performances one after the other. It is after years that a judo player from the city would represent the nation at a major international event.”

Dhaliwal added, “Honing his skills was comparatively easier as he is a fast leaner, disciplined and dedicated to his sport. Harshdeep would be part of a national training camp, the venue and time of which are yet to be finalised.”

Earlier, representing India for the fourth time, Harshdeep clinched a bronze medal in the Junior Asian Judo Championship held in Lebanon from May 9 to 13.

Brar also won a bronze medal in the Asian Cadet Judo Championship held in Chinese Taipei in 2014 and represented the country at the World University Games held in Chinese Taipei in November 2017.

In 2015, he participated in the Junior Asia Judo Championship held in Thailand.

He has also won gold medals in the National Junior Judo Championship and Punjab Judo Junior Championship for the past seven years.

Harshdeep is a resident of Lal Singh Nagar in Bathinda. He is a BA second-year student of Government Rajindra College. His father is a farmer and mother is a housewife.