DC announces Rs1 lakh for Maharaja Ranjit Singh awardee

Our Correspondent

Hoshiarpur, July 17

A Hoshiarpur resident was among the 101 players recently honoured by the state government with the ‘Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award’.

Disclosing this here today, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Isha Kalia said kayaking and canoeing player Varinder Singh had brought laurels to the district.

The Deputy Commissioner met the player here today at the District Administrative Complex and extended congratulations to him.

The Deputy Commissioner, who is also the president of the District Olympic Association, also announced to honour the player with Rs 1 lakh.

The DC said firm resolve, determination, dedication and commitment were necessary for achieving any milestone and these make it significant for the youth hailing from the district to excel at both academic and sports fields.

The Deputy Commissioner said the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award had been started by the state government with an intention to encourage exceptional sporting talent in the state. The award includes Rs 2 lakh in cash, a blazer, a scroll and a trophy of Sher-e-Punjab Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Varinder, who has nine gold, nine silver and 11 bronze medals to his credit, said he was a resident of Depur village, which falls in the Mukerian subdivision.

He said despite belonging to a poor family, he continued working hard on his games, which helped him to showcase his prowess at the national and international level.

District Sports Officer Gurpreet Singh and District Public Relations Officer Hakam Thapar were among those others present.