Sabyasachi Bagchi, Kolkata: The cricket fraternity knows her as the super girl of Punjab. Nobody will forget her match winning 171 runs knock against Australia in the semifinal of recently concluded ICC Women’s World Cup 2017. She is none other than India’s star middle order batsman Harmanpreet Kaur.
After her brilliant performance in the World Cup in England, the Government of India nominated her for the prestigious Arjuna Award. She was among the 17 sports-persons who have received the prestigious award from the President of India.
Harmanpreet looked really happy after receiving this award. Just after the award giving ceremony, Harmanpreet talked exclusively with www.xtratime.in correspondent Sabyasachi Bagchi.
“This is a very special moment for me and I am thankful to the Government of India that they have chosen me for this prestigious award. It will inspire me to play well in future.”
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Harmanpreet thanked the BCCI for giving her the opportunity in the foreign T-20 Leagues and it also helped her to grow as a complete cricketer.” I have played in Big Bash and was a part of KIA Super League in England too. I want to thank BCCI for giving me such an opportunity and it helped be to play well everywhere. In the near future if the BCCI starts the IPL for women it would be great for all the women’s cricketer.”
“At the start of our career, we never toured a lot in the overseas, but a news came to me that from now on the India A team and the Indian Women’s cricket team will tour more at the overseas. I would be great for us as the more we face tough situations our quality of playing cricket would evolve more,” said Harmanpreet.
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Except Cheteshwar Pujara, she is the only cricketer who has received the prestigious Arjuna Award, On being asked about this feat, she replied,” It’s a huge honour for me. At one stage I didn’t know how to play cricket. I used to play cricket with some local boys. For this our neighbours and a few local boys humiliated me and my family too, and after all these struggles I have played for my nation and represented my country in the World Cup. After receiving this prestigious today I feel that it is a victory of woman power.”
Court has given Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh a sentence of 20 years for raping two of his followers. “I am a DSP of Punjab police and I can’t comment on anything which is still under court proceedings. But I just want to say we call our country as Bharat Mata and if anyone tries to harm a woman of the nation he should face the extreme punishment,” concluded Harmanpreet.