Chandigarh 23 January – Days after Chandigarh University (CU) won the prestigious Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy (MAKA), Punjab Governor and Administrator of Chandigarh, Gulab Chand Kataria, met with a group of 33 medal winning student athletes, from the university’s Khelo India University Games 2024 contingent, with the Trophy at Raj Bhawan.

The contingent of medal winners from Chandigarh University was led by Deep Inder Singh Sandhu, Senior Managing Director, Chandigarh University.

Congratulating Chandigarh University players for their outstanding achievements at the national and international tournaments, Punjab Governor Kataria said the MAKA Trophy victory is not just a significant accomplishment for the Chandigarh university, but a proud moment for our entire state of Punjab which has long been synonymous with excellence in sports.

“Punjab has long been recognized as a cradle of sporting legends who have brought glory for the country by winning medals in various international competitions, including the Olympics, Commonwealth and the Asian Games. From Milkha Singh, the legendary Flying Sikh whose athletic achievements placed India firmly on the global sporting map, to Abhinav Bindra, who made history as India’s first individual Olympic gold medallist in shooting, our state has produced icons who have brought honour and recognition to our nation. Punjab has always been a nursery for international hockey talent with Punjabi players not only dominating Indian teams. Eight players from Punjab contributed in India’s second consecutive Olympics bronze medal finish at the Paris Olympics, a first since 1972 Munich Games. In cricket, we take immense pride in the contributions of players like Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh, whose match-winning performances in the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup were pivotal to India’s triumphs,” he said.

The Punjab Governor said the MAKA Trophy, presented for over six decades, is one of the highest honours for inter-university sports in India and Chandigarh University has created a new history by becoming the first ever private university to win the MAKA Trophy.

“This historic achievement by Chandigarh University is a reflection of the exceptional sports infrastructure and unwavering commitment to fostering talent by offering world-class facilities, including Olympic-standard tracks, modern sports complexes, and well-equipped training centres and an ideal environment for student-athletes to excel,” Kataria said.

Punjab Governor further said, “In addition to the MAKA Trophy, Chandigarh University has demonstrated excellence by winning 543 medals, including 125 national and 68 international awards during 2023-24. While 22 of Chandigarh University students, who won 10 medal, participated in the Asian Games which was the highest number of participants from any Indian university, eight students of CU represented India in the Paris Olympics. Two of Chandigarh University students, Pawan Kumar Sehrawat (Captain, Indian Kabaddi Team) and Sanjay (Hockey) have won Arjuna Award. At the 2024 Khelo India University Games, the university topped the medal tally with an outstanding total of 71 medals, including 32 golds, 18 silvers, and 21 bronzes, to emerge as the top performing university for winning the MAKA Trophy. This impressive performance speaks to the extraordinary level of talent nurtured within the university, which continues to thrive across multiple sporting disciplines,”.

In a glittering ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Friday, Chandigarh University’s Senior Managing Director Deep Inder Singh Sandhu and Dr Devinder Singh, Pro Vice Chancellor received the prestigious MAKA Trophy from President Droupadi Murmu during the presentation of the National Sports Award, 2024. Apart from this, Sanjay, a BA student of Chandigarh University and an international hockey player, was honoured with the Arjuna Award on the occasion.

While speaking on the occasion, Deep Inder Singh Sandhu said “it was a great motivation for the Chandigarh University athletes and medal winners to meet the Governor of Punjab. We have given commitment to Governor Punjab that Chandigarh University will continue to work hard in preparing the next generation of sports persons, who will not only bring medals and laurels for the state but will represent India in international tournaments and competitions”.