Punjab CM promises help to jobless boxer Simranjit Kaur

NEW DELHI: Reacting to a TOI report published on January 14, 2020, which highlighted World medallist Simranjit Kaur’s dire need for a job, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh came to the aid of the 24-year-old boxer on Thursday and promised her ‘all possible’ help.


The Punjab CM took to his social media account and assured Simranjit of assistance. “I have directed Secretary, Sports to immediately look into what needs to be done,” Amarinder wrote.

Recently, Simranjit won the 60kg trial against veteran boxer Sarita Devi and bagged the right to represent India at the Olympic qualifiers in February. The chief minister urged Simranjit to not lose sleep over her present state and direct all her energy towards the upcoming Olympic qualifiers.

“@Simranjitboxer Don’t worry about anything, just focus on the upcoming Olympics,” he tweeted. “Also I would like to thank all on the social media & the media that highlighted the issue,” he added.

Simranjit acknowledged the Punjab CM’s offer and the encouraging words. She wrote, “Thank you @capt_amarinder sir and I hope I will justify your faith and those of millions of Indians.”

On Wednesday, former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh had tweeted TOI’s story on Simranjit and had urged Union sports and youth affairs minister Kiren Rijiju as well as the Punjab government to lend a helping hand to the boxer.

Simranjit, who hails from Ludhiana’s Chakar village, is the sole breadwinner of her family of five, including her two younger brothers, elder sister and mother. Her father, who worked at a local grocery store at a meagre salary of Rs 4,000, died in July 2018 due to a heart attack. Since then, the family is entirely dependent on what Simranjit earns from participating in international tournaments.