Ludhiana: Silver in Asian Games, shuttler eyes Olympics

Kapila was felicitated by the district administration during the Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan season 2 event at the campus of the Punjab Agricultural Universit

After securing a silver medal in the men’s badminton at the Asian Games in China, city lad Dhruv Kapila on Friday expressed his desire to represent India in the Olympics and outperform himself during the international mega sports event.

Badminton player Dhruv Kapila, who won silver in Asian Games, being felicitated by the district administration in Ludhiana. (ht)

Kapila was felicitated by the district administration during the Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan season 2 event at the campus of the Punjab Agricultural University here.

While sharing his aspirations, Dhruv expressed his dream of representing India in the Olympics and winning medals for the country.

Brimming with joy from India’s remarkable achievement at the Asian Games, Kapila encouraged the youth to embrace sports as an integral part of their lives.

“Sports open doors to new opportunities,” he said,

He said that to harness the city’s potential in sports, the state government should consider hiring foreign coaches and investing in the development of modern badminton courts. He aims to inspire young athletes and encourage them to pursue their dreams.

“The state government should invest by bringing good coaches and infrastructure into the state. When I joined Gopichand academy in Hyderabad, my expenditure was ₹25,000 per month that was entirely borne by me. There was no help from the government,” he said.

“The state should provide world class sports facilities in our home town so that talent can be utilised and more players can bring international accolades,” he said.

Kapila’s journey to success began at the age of eight when he was inspired by his grandfather’s passion for badminton. He soon joined an academy at the age of 10 and honed his skills, dedicating eight to nine hours for daily practice.

He trained for approximately two years at the Ludhiana badminton academy under the expert guidance of his coach, Anupum, to whom he presented his hard-earned medal acknowledging the pivotal role his mentor played in his journey to success.

Additional deputy commissioner Amit Sareen welcomed Kapila during the event and recognised his role in India’s historic win at the Asian Games. He urged young talents to follow Kapila’s example, emphasising that his performance at the Asian Games would serve as an inspiration for budding players in Ludhiana.

Aspiring young athletes gathered at the PAU basketball court were visibly excited to see the sports icon.

Gurjot, one of the aspiring players, expressed his determination, saying, “I want to become a renowned player like him. I wish to inspire many people, and just like others take pictures of him, I hope people will click pictures of me too.”