Responding promptly to the desperate pleas of five students selected for a world archery event, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder on Tuesday directed the Punjabi University Patiala Vice Chancellor to immediately sanction the necessary funds to enable the archers to participate in the games.The Chief Minister’s intervention came just hours before the deadline for submitting the required expenditure amount ended.
A grateful coach of the selected archers said they were elated at not losing the golden opportunity to participate in the prestigious World University Games 2017, slated to be held in Chinese Taipei from August 19 to 30.The students approached the Chief Minister’s Office for help after the university refused to finance them owing to resource crunch, an official spokesperson said. Taking cognizance of their request, and given his government’s thrust on promotion of sports in the state, the Chief Minister immediately intervened and instructed Vice Chancellor SK Sandhu to release the funds without delay.Acting on the Chief Minister’s directive, the university released the funds to make the necessary payments on behalf of the archers, identified as Prabhjot Kaur, Inderjeet Verma, Amanjeet Singh, Lovejot Singh and Sanehal Mandhere.The Chief Minister has assured Vice Chancellor SK Sandhu that the government would foot the bill, amounting to Rs. 1.73 lakh per participant, in case the university is unable to meet the expense, said the spokesperson.