Palak Kour Bijral’s Journey Of Excellence As India’s Top Gymnast, Recalls The Time When Indian President Ram Nath Kovind Awarded Her
When you are passionate about something, difficult things become easier and impossible becomes possible. The young ball of energy, Palak Kour Bijral is a classic example of how faith can move mountains. A resident from Jammu and Kashmir, Palak is an International Rhythmic Gymnast who has represented India on a global level multiple times. At the age of 6, she began gymnastics and while she was 8, she participated in her first Artistic Gymnastics competition.
The shift in rhythmic gymnastics happened in 2007 when she was just 11 years old. Her 45-day summer coaching camp at the Jintana Rhythmic Gymnastics Club in Bangkok was very helpful after which she got her first opportunity as a rhythmic gymnast at the National Championship held in Jodhpur, Rajasthan in 2007. For it, she won 3 gold medals and 1 silver medal under 12 sub-junior group category.
However, Palak’s life changed in 2008 while she was 12. She got her first international opportunity to represent India at the 4th Children of Asia International games held at Yakutsk, Mirny, Neryungri (Russia). Palak was the only player to be selected from the state as she was elected by the Federation of India.
This was just the start in her career and over the years, she made India proud on several occasions. After participating in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, she returned to her home country with immense love and applause. Reminiscing the golden memories, she got nostalgic when the former chief minister of J&K, Mr Omar Abdullah felicitated her with the Sher-i-Kashmir Sports Award for the year 2014-15 with a cash award and a memento. “It boosted my confidence and motivated me to work harder towards my goals”, said Palak.
Her streak of winning laurels and recognitions continued when she made a record by bagging 2 gold medals and 1 silver medal at the National Games 2015 in Kerala. Then came the All India Inter University 2017-2018 for which the sportsperson won 3 gold medals and 4 silver medals. Making 2018 the historic year, Palak Kour Bijral stunned everyone at the 24th Senior National Rhythmic Gymnastics Championship by winning 4 gold medals and 1 bronze medal. At the same event, she won the title of outstanding performance in gymnastics at an international level. In February 2018, she was felicitated with All Round Best Gymnast title by the president of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind. “That was the proudest moment of my life and I will cherish it forever. It’s a matter of pride when you are awarded by the Indian president for your work”, she said. With her rigorous dedication and perseverance, Palak Kour Bijral is truly an inspiring figure for all the sports enthusiasts in India.
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