3 Punjab girls in Asiad handball squad

The three Punjab players are,Tarn Taran resident Loveleen,a final year graduate student at Khalsa College,Amritsar; Ropar resident Rajwant,who is doing her MSc from Punjabi University,Patiala,and Nawanshahr resident Gurpreet,who is doing her graduation in Ludhiana.

“It is a great feeling to be included in the national squad for Asian Games,” said Rajwant,daughter of a farmer. Loveleen,whose father is also a farmer,said she was also thrilled over her selection.

“Punjab had been lagging in handball. But,it is good to see three girls from the state making it to the national squad for Asian Games,” team coach Shivaji Sindhu told The Indian Express.

A six-member committee had shortlisted the handball players on the basis of their performance in camps organised at Amritsar since May this year.

Punjab Sports Director Pargat Singh is also ecstatic over the development. “This is a very good sign,a very positive sign especially when participation of women from Punjab is increasing in games,” said Singh.

Their teammate from Haryana is Gurmail,a student of Shah Satnam Ji College run by the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda. Gurmail belongs to village Dhanouri near Jind in Haryana.

Sindhu said Delhi led the team tally with five of its girls making it to the squad,followed by Railways with four girls and Punjab at third place with three girls.