Punjab’s first-ever woman boxer to have qualified for Olympics, Simranjit Kaur on Tuesday finally received Rs 5 lakhs that she was promised by the Punjab Government more than eight months back.
The state’s Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi handed over a cheque to Simranjit’s mother, Rajpal Kaur, on behalf of Punjab Government at Ludhiana. The prize was announced by the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh after his meeting with the boxer.
Sodhi congratulated the boxer’s mother saying that not only Punjab but the entire country is also proud of her, who won a silver medal in the Asia-Oceania Qualifiers and now she will represent India in the world's largest sports arena.
He said that boxer Simranjit was also a beacon light for the girls of the State, those who wanted to make their career in the field of boxing. “This is an extraordinary achievement of the daughter of an ordinary family and every possible help would be provided from the State Government to move her forward,” he added.
Sodhi also announced that the entire cost for Simranjit’s Olympic preparations would be borne by the State Government.
Facing financial problems and peeved over the Government’s apathetic attitude amidst lockdowns, Simranjit, who is Currently at the national camp in Patiala, had in August rued that she was yet to receive the cash reward promised to her, which she needed for training for the Tokyo Olympics.
Simranjit’s issue had come to light in January this year when she shared her financial problems with the media. Taking note, the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had immediately taken to Twitter and assured all the help to the Indian boxer.
At the time, cricketer Harbhajan Singh as well as Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju had thanked the media for highlighting Simranjit's financial condition.
Simranjit, who hails from Ludhiana's Chakar village, is the sole breadwinner of her family of five, which includes two younger brothers, elder sister and mother.
Her father, who worked at a local grocery store, died in July 2018 due to a heart attack. Since then, the family is entirely dependent on what Simranjit earns from participating in international tournaments.
“She started her career from the village. She won a bronze medal in the Junior World Championships in 2013, a bronze medal in the Senior World Championships in 2018 and a silver medal at the Asian Boxing Championships in 2019.
She also learned the new techniques of boxing at the Punjab Institute of Sports in Mohali and currently preparing herself for the Olympics,” said Sodhi.
Simranjit’s mother Rajpal Kaur expressed gratitude towards the Chief Minister and assured that Simranjit would definitely win the gold medal in the Olympics with her hard work and the State Government’s cooperation.