PATIALA: The Cycling Association of Punjab today honoured the state’s sub-junior girls’ team, which set a national record at the National Track Cycling Championships in Ranchi, Jharkhand, along with the boys who won medals at the event. The Punjab team’s coaches were also honoured at the ceremony, held at the association’s office in Surya Complex, Patiala.
The association’s chief patron, Darshan Singh Dhaliwal, a prominent industrialist involved in philanthropic work internationally, presented cash awards of Rs 25,000 each to the honoured cyclists and announced a contribution of Rs 4 lakh to the association.
Former Punjab Cabinet Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra, association president Charanjit Singh Dhaliwal, general secretary Jagdeep Singh Kahlon, treasurer B. S. Sudan and vice-president S. P. Singh attended the ceremony.
Kahlon said Punjab’s sub-junior girls won gold in the team sprint, breaking a seven-year-old national record. The record-setting team comprised Japneet Kaur (father Jagdeep Singh, mother Sukhjinder Kaur), Palakpreet Kaur (father Baljinder Singh, mother Harpreet Kaur), Guntas Sandhu (father Gurmeet Singh, mother Poonamdeep Kaur) and Preeti Shah (father Ganesh Shah, mother Renu Devi).
Punjab team head coach Satwinder Singh, coaches Bhupinder Kumar and Ikwinder Singh, and women’s coach Harpreet Kaur were honoured for training and guiding the cyclists.
Kahlon said Punjab’s Harshveer Singh Sekhon won gold in the senior men’s 10 km scratch race. The Cycling Federation of India also presented the Punjab team with the ‘Best Fair Play Award’ at the championships in recognition of its sportsmanship and discipline.
Kahlon said the Cycling Federation of India had awarded Punjab the hosting rights for the 2027 National Track Cycling Championships. The Cycling Association of Punjab will organise the event. The federation flag, which is handed over to the host state, was presented to association president Charanjit Singh Dhaliwal during the ceremony.