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Punjab Sports Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer on Friday visited the residence of badminton player Dhruv Kapila, part of India's Thomas Cup-winning team.
Kapila also gifted the minister his badminton racket. "It is a matter of pride that a boy from Punjab has won a medal in Thomas Cup with his team for the first time ever. He has made his family, Punjab and the country proud. It is needed that children who make Punjab proud and raise our country's flag abroad are appreciated," said the minister. He extended his congratulations to the family, friends, and coach of the player and added that Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann will personally meet the player and honour him. Pointing out that sports and players were earlier ignored, the minister said that sports is a priority of his government. "Sportsmen like Dhruv are the pride of our state," he added. The Indian team scripted history on Sunday by winning the first-ever Thomas Cup crown ever since its inception in 1949. In what was India's first-ever appearance in the tournament finale, they defeated the record 14-time champions Indonesia in the Thomas Cup 2022 final at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand by 3-0 to lift the coveted trophy. No Indian team has previously reached the final of the Thomas and Uber Cup in its 70-plus year history. Indian men reached the Thomas Cup semi-finals in 1952, 1955 and 1979 while the women's team made it to the Uber Cup top-four in 2014 and 2016. (ANI)
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