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Three members of India's ICC Women's World Cup 2025 winning team -- Harmanpreet Kaur, Harleen Deol and Amanjot Kaur -- were among the leading sportspersons honoured by the Punjab government during the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award and cash award distribution ceremony in Chandigarh on Sunday.
The three cricketers, who were part of India's historic Women's World Cup triumph at home last year, received cash awards of Rs 1.5 crore each in recognition of their achievement. Para powerlifter Paramjeet Singh was awarded Rs 55 lakh. Overall, the Punjab government distributed more than Rs 32 crore among 1,070 athletes during the ceremony. A total of 87 distinguished sportspersons were also conferred with the prestigious Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award for the 2019-2023 period. Speaking on preparations for the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026, India women's captain Harmanpreet Kaur told ANI, "The preparations are complete. We are leaving for the tournament tonight." On being honoured by the Punjab government, she added, "It feels very good that the government is supporting us and new platforms are being given to the sportspersons at the grassroots level." Harleen Deol also welcomed the recognition for athletes in the state. "It feels very good, and even when our team won the silver medal during the Commonwealth Games, we were acknowledged the same way," she said. All-rounder Amanjot Kaur termed the initiative an encouraging step for budding athletes in Punjab. "This is a very good initiative of the Punjab government. Now, a culture has started in Punjab where the state government supports them," she said. On India's preparations for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026, Amanjot added, "We are hopeful that we will win the trophy." The Punjab government said it is continuing to expand investments in sports infrastructure and youth programmes through initiatives such as village-level playground development and a sports budget allocation of Rs 1,790 crore. (ANI)
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