Ace Indian women hockey player and hat-trick scorer in Tokyo Olympics, Vandana Kataria was accorded a grand welcome in her native village of Aurangabad in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar district on Wednesday.
“It is a unique feeling seeing so much adulation and wishes pouring in. The Olympics was a litmus test for the past year’s hard work and intense training as a team. We couldn’t clinch the bronze medal but yeah, [we] surely won hearts both of people and [the] opposition [team],” an elated Vandana Kataria said on her arrival.
“After the Tokyo Olympics, we have now set our eyes on the Commonwealth and Asian games,” said Vandana.
She was driven to the village in a car after her arrival at Dehradun’s Jollygrant airport in the morning. A police escort car accompanied her with fans and well- wishers lined up on both sides of the road to have a glimpse of the star forward player who has played more than 200 international matches for India.
Uttarakhand sports department officials had organised a felicitation function at Roshnabad stadium, where Vandana honed her initial hockey skills.
Haridwar district magistrate Vinay Shankar Pandey, senior superintendent of police (SSP) D Senthil Aboodai Krishan, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Madan Kaushik, Jwalapur legislator Suresh Rathore, Ranipur-BHEL legislator Adesh Chauhan Jhabreda MLA Desh Raj Karnwal, sports officials, players and hockey aficionados and several others congratulated Vandana on her arrival for her individual and team performance. She will be leaving for New Delhi on Friday to attend national level felicitations.
Meanwhile, those who share their first names with Olympic gold medalist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and Vandana Kataria can now avail free ride to the revered shrine of Mata Chandi Devi in Haridwar courtesy an announcement to celebrate their performances by ropeway company Usha Breco Limited.
“Those having Neeraj and Vandana as their name will have to show their Aadhar card as identity proof. We will give them pilgrim ropeway ride free of cost to and fro till August 22,” said Usha Breco’s regional manager Manoj Dobhal.
“I usually thought my name was a little bit traditional, but with this initiative, I realised how lucky I am to share my first name with Vandana Kataria. Ropeway ride to the shrine is an added bonus as this is the pious month of Shravan when temple visits are considered auspicious,” said Vandana Gupta, a social activist associated with a non-profit.
Ganga Sabha, which manages affairs of the sanctum sanctorum of Brahamkund, Har-Ki-Pauri, also performed a special evening Ganga aarti expressing gratitude to deity Ganga for blessing Neeraj Chopra, Vandana Kataria and other Olympic medal winners.
Source By:- hindustantimes.com
