Sirsa’s Bhajan Kaur hopes to make a mark at Paris Olympics

Anil Kakkar

Sirsa, July 10

Bhajan Kaur of Sirsa will be the district’s second representative at the Olympics, after hockey player Savita Punia. She will compete in archery at the Paris Olympics, which will run from July 26 to August 11. Bhajan, the daughter of Bhagwan Singh of Ellenabad, has secured a spot in the recurve category. She secured India’s Olympic quota by winning gold in the women’s individual recurve event at the Olympics qualifiers in Antalya, Turkey. Her accomplishments in archery, which include numerous gold and silver medals, have made her parents and district proud. Her father, Bhagwan Singh, stated that she had worked extremely hard to reach the Olympics.

She recently practiced at the All India Camp in Pune and has now reached Paris with the Indian contingent. Singh added that Bhajan’s dedication to archery meant she rarely visited home, so he decided to visit her in Pune to bless her before the Olympics. Her archery career began in Class VIII, when a teacher suggested she try her hand at a bow and arrow left behind by a senior. Her teachers were impressed with her talent and encouraged her growing interest. Bhagwan Singh is a farmer, while her mother is a homemaker. Bhajan also has a younger sister and a brother who are also training in archery.

Bhajan has an impressive track record, having won a bronze at the Asian Games in China (2023), a gold at the Senior National Games (2023), a gold at the Youth World Championship (2023) and two golds at the Asia Cup (2022). Speaking from Paris, Bhajan expressed her determination to win a gold for India at the Olympics.