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After gold win, Indian hockey heroes arrive to grand welcome at Amritsar
This was the Indian men’s hockey team’s fourth gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games after the 1966 and 1988 editions in Bangkok and Incheon 2014.
Eight members of the Indian men’s hockey team, which clinched the gold medal in the recent Hangzhou Asian Games, returned to a grand welcome at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar on Wednesday.
The players, captain Harmanpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Samsher Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Manpreet Singh, Gurjant Singh and Surjit Singh, were welcomed by their family members and the Amritsar district administration.
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As soon as the team members came out of the airport, school students attired in traditional costume performed bhangra with gusto to the beat of the dhol. Hundreds of fans gathered to click pictures with the winning team members, who were garlanded and honoured with the siropa (robe of honour).
A beaming Harmanpreet Singh, who was received by his wife Amandeep Kaur and baby daughter Ruhanat, said, “It’s a proud moment that our team has achieved what we desired. It was a team effort and everyone did a great job.”
Gurjant Singh said, “Our next target is to win the gold at the Paris Olympic Games. It’s the time work harder.”
Hardik’s proud mother Kamaljit Kaur said, “Our prayers have been answered. We were confident that they would return victorious.”
Amritsar deputy commissioner Amit Talwar, commissioner of police Naunihal Singh, member of Parliament Gurjit Singh Aujla and MLA Ajay Gupta were prominent among those who welcomed the players at the airport.
“The players of Punjab have broken all records of 72 years. Of the total team members, 10 are from Punjab. Punjab’s players scored 43 out of the total 68 goals scored by Team India at the games. The Punjab government will give ₹1 crore to each gold medallist,” the DC said.
The Indian men’s hockey team dethroned 2018 gold medallist Japan on October 8, claiming their fourth hockey gold in the Asian Games, and also qualified for the Paris Olympics, 2024.
The Indian contingent bagged a record 107 medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games, including 28 gold, 38 silver and 41 bronze.
