Dehradun, 4 February (HS): The players of Uttarakhand have brought glory to the state by performing brilliantly in the 38th National Games. Especially in the Wushu competition, Neeraj Joshi of Haldwani proved his talent by winning the silver medal. Neeraj's journey was full of struggles, but inspired by his hard work and the sports policies of the Uttarakhand government, he achieved this feat.

The journey was full of struggles

Haldwani resident Neeraj Joshi's father Rajesh Ballabh Joshi is a farmer and despite limited resources, he inspired his son towards sports. Neeraj, who has been training in Dehradun for the last eight years, had to face financial constraints and injuries.

In the year 2022, he had to distance himself from the game due to a broken leg bone.

During this time he even thought of quitting the game, but with the support of family and coach, he made a comeback. In the year 2023, he proved his fitness and sports skills by winning a gold medal in the All India University Games. However, in the National Games 2023 held in Goa, he only finished fifth due to lack of sports facilities.

Inspiration from government schemes

Neeraj Joshi has attributed his success to the sports policy of the Uttarakhand government. He said that the state government's announcement to give cash prizes and government jobs to the medal winners at the national level has boosted the enthusiasm of the players. These incentives inspired him to perform better and this time he brought laurels to the state by winning a silver medal in the Wushu event.

Excellent performance of Uttarakhand players

Many players of Uttarakhand made the state proud by winning medals in the 38th National Games. Neeraj Joshi's silver medal in Wushu holds a special place in this list. His achievement has brought a wave of happiness not only in his family but in the whole of Uttarakhand.

Neeraj said, The incentive policy of the state government has given a new direction to the players. With this, the coming generation will also be attracted towards sports and the name of Uttarakhand will reach greater heights at the national and international level. This success of Neeraj Joshi will also inspire other young players of the state and will help in taking the sports sector of the state to new heights.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar