During her four-day sojourn in her home town Aurangabad in Haridwar district on her return from the Asian Games, the hockey star Vandana Katariya was felicitated by the District Magistrate at the District Collectorate on Friday.
Since Vandana returned home on Thursday there has been a welcome spree from her well-wishers. The Indian team won the silver medal at the Asian Champion Trophy, 2018, losing to Korea. Vandana scored seven goals for the Indian team in the Asian Games. She also won the player of the tournament award.
Speaking to The Pioneer, Vandana said, “The players who perform well in Asian Games and other sports events are felicitated by the Governments of the States they are from. This is to boost them up. It is not that the Government of Uttarakhand is not felicitating me, but they can make some bigger announcement as an encouragement.”
Vandana is all set to start practice from October 1 to help the team qualify for Olympic Games slated in 2020 in Japan.
Vandana’s father, Neher Singh who is a retired BHEL employee was a local wrestler at an 'akhaada'. Being a sports enthusiast, he pushed his children to excel in the fields they chose, especially the girls who are otherwise discouraged away from the traditional sports.
Vandana made her junior international debut in 2006 and she made her debut in international hockey four years later. She achieved her first great success in 2013 as the country’s top goal-scorer which helped India bag a coveted bronze medal in the Junior Women’ World Cup in Germany. She was the third highest scorer of the tournament.
