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By:

Ruddhi Phadke

22 September 2024 at 3:47:54 pm

From Scarcity to Sporting Glory

Part - 1 Name: Neeru Dhanda Where: Jind, Haryana Neeru Dhanda’s historic Asian Games triumph is not just a story of sporting excellence, but a reminder of the talent India can unlock when opportunity meets determination. For Neeru, the road to two historic Asian Games gold medals did not begin with sophisticated training facilities, expensive equipment or years of uninterrupted preparation. It began with a borrowed Indian-made gun, a tin used as a makeshift target and a dream that came from a...

From Scarcity to Sporting Glory

Part - 1 Name: Neeru Dhanda Where: Jind, Haryana Neeru Dhanda’s historic Asian Games triumph is not just a story of sporting excellence, but a reminder of the talent India can unlock when opportunity meets determination. For Neeru, the road to two historic Asian Games gold medals did not begin with sophisticated training facilities, expensive equipment or years of uninterrupted preparation. It began with a borrowed Indian-made gun, a tin used as a makeshift target and a dream that came from a small village in Haryana. Her remarkable journey from those humble beginnings to the biggest podium of her career is as much a story about resilience as it is about sporting achievement. The 26-year-old shooter has been making headlines after creating history at the Asian Games. She became the first Indian woman to win an individual gold in the women’s strap shooting event. In the final, she hit 28 of 30 targets, smashing the previous Asian Games record of 24. The next day, she went one step further, winning gold in the mixed team strap event and helping India secure its first-ever gold in the category. Two gold medals in two days made her achievement even more remarkable. Ten days before the tournament, Neeru had spent three-and-a-half weeks in hospital. She had not trained and had been unable to eat for five days. She travelled to Japan without anything close to the preparation an elite athlete would normally expect before a major international competition. Yet she delivered when it mattered most. Hailing from a small village in Haryana, her father is a farmer and her mother is a homemaker. Shooting is an expensive sport, requiring firearms, ammunition, coaching, equipment and regular access to training facilities. Neeru began with an Indian-made gun borrowed from her uncle. With no conventional target available, she used a tin as a makeshift one. The story of how her family learnt about her historic victory is equally striking. On the day of her match, her mother was on her way to collect wheat under the Below Poverty Line ration scheme when she received the news that her daughter had won gold. It is a powerful contrast: on one side, a mother collecting essential food support for her family; on the other, her daughter standing on the biggest sporting podium of her career. And that contrast raises an important question: How many more Neerus are out there? How much talent are we yet to discover simply because the means to nurture it are missing? Neeru’s gold medals are a moment of pride. But more importantly, they should become a moment of purpose.

US Vice President JD Vance, his family arrive in Delhi

PTI
Apr 21, 2025
2 min read


NEW DELHI: US Vice President J D Vance arrived here on Monday on a four-day visit to India against the backdrop of ongoing negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement between the two strategic partners to address a variety of issues, including tariff and market access.


Vance is accompanied by his Indian-origin wife Usha Chilukuri and their three children Ewan, Vivek, Mirabel and a delegation of senior US government officials.


The US Vice President and the Second Lady were received at the Palam air base by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.


The American leader was also accorded a ceremonial welcome on his arrival.

In the evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a dinner for the Vances after holding wide-ranging talks with the US Vice President.


External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Indian ambassador to US Vinay Mohan Kwatra are expected to be part of the Indian team to be led by PM Modi at the talks.


The focus of the meeting is likely to be on early finalisation of the proposed bilateral trade pact as well as ways to boost overall trajectory of ties between the two countries.


Besides Delhi, Vance and his family will travel to Jaipur and Agra.

Vance's first visit to India comes weeks after US President Donald Trump imposed and then paused a sweeping tariff regime against around 60 countries, including India.


New Delhi and Washington are now holding negotiations to seal a bilateral trade agreement that is expected to address a variety of issues, including tariff and market access.


Vance and his family are scheduled to leave for Jaipur on Monday night.

In Delhi, the US Vice President and his family are staying at the ITC Maurya Sheraton hotel.


On April 22, the Vances will visit a number of historical sites in Jaipur, including the Amer Fort, also known as Amber Fort. The fort is a UNESCO world heritage site.


In the afternoon, the US Vice President is scheduled to address a gathering at the Rajasthan International Centre in Jaipur.


Vance is expected to delved into broader aspects of India-US relations under the Donald Trump administration during his speech that is expected to be attended by diplomats, foreign policy experts, Indian government officials and academia.


The US Vice President and his family will travel to Agra on the morning of April 23, people familiar with the matter said.


In Agra, they will visit the Taj Mahal and Shilpgram which is an open air emporium showcasing various Indian artefacts, they said.


After concluding their visit to Agra, the Vances will return to Jaipur on the second half of April 23.


The US Vice President and his family will depart for the US from Jaipur on April 24, according to the people cited above.

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