Neeraj, 12 other Olympic medal-winning students felicitated by LPU
JALANDHAR : Lovely Professional University (LPU), Phagwara, on Tuesday gave ₹1.75 crore in cash awards to 13 of its students, including javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and 10 members of men’s hockey team, for winning medals at the Tokyo Olympics.
The varsity gave Rs 50 lakh cash award and a ‘gold javelin’ to Chopra, who won gold, while Indian hockey team captain Manpreet Singh and nine of his team members received Rs 85 lakh. The university also announced an award of Rs 10 lakh for bronze medal winner Bajrang Punia and Rs 25 lakh for Paralympics high jump silver medal winner Nishad Kumar. Both are the students of the university. An 87.58-metre ‘Neeraj Chopra Marg’, a pathway leading to the varsity’s sports complex, was also inaugurated. The distance of the road is same as Neeraj’s gold-winning throw.
Niti Aayog chief executive officer (CEO) Amitabh Kant, who was the chief guest at the function, said that the country’s players brought joy and hope to millions of Indians.
“Sports is extremely important for an all-round development of an individual. Students who do well in sports fare much better in life compared to those who only focus on studies,” he added.
Chopra said, “The university and my teachers supported me in every way possible to help achieve my dream of winning an Olympic gold for India. I am confident that the university will produce many more top-notch sportspersons who will bring laurels for India in the future.”