Nagoya, Oct. 4 -- Archer Kumkum Mohod and wrestler Sujeet Kalkal have been named the inaugural recipients of the Jaspal Rana Award and Raja Randhir Singh Award respectively by the Indian Olympic Association for their outstanding performances at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
The awards have been instituted by the IOA to honour the best female and male sportspersons of the Games and commemorate the legacy of two stalwarts of Indian sport who died earlier this year.
Seventeen-year-old Mohod, making her Asian Games debut, won three medals, including two gold, and played a pivotal role in ending South Korea's long-standing dominance in women's recurve archery.
IOA president PT Usha hailed Mohod's achievement, saying, "It is fitting that Kumkum is the first recipient of the Jaspal Rana Award, as Jaspal too burst onto the scene as a prodigy at the 1994 Asian Games. Her composure under pressure and her ability to find her best form when her back was to the wall augur extremely well for Indian Archery.
"India's archers have been knocking on the door for more than a decade now, and I firmly believe that this performance by Kumkum and her recurve teammates has shattered the glass ceiling for Indian archery.
"India came close to winning a maiden Olympic medal in the sport at the Paris Olympics, and I am convinced that final frontier will be
breached at the Los Angeles Olympics."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.