Athletes felicitated in UP Republic Day celebration

Meerut: Uttar Pradesh government felicitated athletes for their achievements in the Asian and Para-Asian games in Hangzhou, China, last year. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath and UP governor Anandiben Patel felicitated the athletes. Parul Chaudhary, hailed as the ‘golden girl’ of Uttar Pradesh, received a cheque of Rs 4.5 crore and a DSP rank. Like Parul, who is training in the US, Annu Rani could not attend the ceremony as she is training in Germany. Rani’s achievement was acknowledged with Rs 3 crore for a gold medal in the javelin throw category. Joining the celebration were powerlifter Zainab Khatoon, securing silver in the 61kg category, and shot put player Kiran Baliyan, who claimed a bronze. Parul’s brother Rahul said, “Parul’s dream of becoming a senior police officer has been fulfilled. Her focus is now on winning a gold medal in the upcoming Olympics. Discussions about her role as DSP are yet to take place, given her current training in America.” Echoing similar sentiments, Annu Rani's brother, Upendra Kumar, mentioned, “Annu, engaged in training in Germany for the Olympics, prefers to continue her job in Railways and has declined the DSP offer.” The recognition extended beyond cash rewards, with Khatoon and Baliyan receiving the Rani Laxmi Bai award for their stellar performances in their respective sports.