The region's under-19 heroes could not have picked a better moment to return home. As the sports fraternity celebrated the National Sports Day celebrating hockey legend's Dhyan Chand's birthday, two of the regions World Cup winning team members-opener Prashant Chopra and Patiala's medium pacer Sandeep Sharma -arrived in Chandigarh to a rousing welcome.
As the eager families, friends and fans laid siege at the arrival gate, the duo looked a bit embarrassed being hoisted in the air by friends to the beats of dhols.
The last three days have been special for this young lot and the reception, if not over the top, has been apt for a team, which battled pressure and tough conditions in Australia to emulate the feat achieved by their seniors in 2011.
"It is a dream come true for everyone of us. We worked hard for it but now it is all about making the success count," Sandeep said, adding, "I have enjoyed great support from my association, my coaches and BCCI to have achieved this." Sandeep welcoming party included his coach Kamaljit Singh and his brothers.
Chopra, meanwhile, said he would now like to continue in same vein for the rest of the year.
"I failed in final but that is part and parcel of the game. I did have some butterfly in my stomach watching the chase in the final, but we also had a belief that till skipper Unmukt Chand and Smit Patel were in the middle we had a chance. Both played amazing innings under pressure," Chopra added.
Chopra, meanwhile, said he would now like to continue in same vein for the rest of the year.
"I failed in final but that is part and parcel of the game. I did have some butterfly in my stomach watching the chase in the final, but we also had a belief that till skipper Unmukt Chand and Smit Patel were in the middle we had a chance. Both played amazing innings under pressure," Chopra added.