PU honours Khelo India winners, gives 1.6cr in awards

Chandigarh: Panjab University (PU) on Wednesday felicitated its sportspersons who won medals in Khelo India University Games 2025, distributing cash awards worth Rs 1.67 crore.PU vice-chancellor Prof Renu Vig honoured medallists, including Olympians, coaches and managers from 15 disciplines such as athletics, shooting, judo, boxing, kayak and canoe, and cycling.Among the prominent awardees was Olympian shooter Raiza Dhillon, who received Rs 1.99 lakh for her gold medal in women's skeet. Simranpreet Kaur Brar secured one of the highest cumulative prizes of Rs 2.74 lakh in the 25m pistol events. In kayak and canoe, Pushpa Yadav emerged as the highest cash awardee with Rs 3.63 lakh, followed by Nikki (Rs 3.33 lakh) and Alpana Sahni (Rs 3.03 lakh). Olympic medallist Sarabjot and Manya Mittal received Rs 2.84 lakh each for multiple podium finishes in shooting.In judo, Mehak Singh was awarded Rs 1.99 lakh for gold in the 52kg category, while boxer Akshay Kumar received Rs 1.99 lakh for gold in the 80kg category. Coaches and managers were also given separate cash incentives. Congratulating the athletes, Prof Vig said winning medals at national-level inter-university competitions was challenging due to intense competition. She urged players to focus on winning maximum gold medals to help the university reclaim the MAKA Trophy, which PU has won 16 times.The VC also announced a liberal and sympathetic approach towards genuine academic difficulties faced by sportspersons, particularly when competitions and coaching camps clash with examinations. Director sports Dr Rakesh Malik thanked the university leadership, affiliated colleges, and coaches from Punjab and the UT sports department for their support in bringing laurels to the institution.