KURUKSHETRA: Coming home with the Tokyo Olympics bronze medal, hockey defender Surender Kumar Palad received a hero’s welcome here on Wednesday but even he wouldn’t have imagined that Thanesar legislator Subhash Sudha will bring a cavalcade to receive him and propose to build a new stadium in his name.
The crowd carried him in a roadshow from Umri Chowk to Dronacharya Stadium. On the entire route that connected sectors 2 and 3, Pipli Chowk, sectors 5 and 7, and Gulzari Lal Nanda Marg, people lined up on the streets to garland Surender and shower him with flower petals. A jumbo garland came from the MLA. Kurukshetra deputy commissioner (DC) Mukul Kumar, superintendent of police (SP) Himanshu Garg, and sports officer Balbir Singh were present.
Before going home, Surender first went to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) training centre in Kurukshetra to take the blessings of his coach, Gurvinder Singh, and show him the Olympic medal.
Gurvinder Singh said: “I feel proud that our institution produced a player who is now the nation’s pride. I seek Arjuna Award for Surender Kumar.” Thanking him, Surender said: “My bronze medal is dedicated to my country. We hoped to win the gold medal but the semi-final wasn’t our day. I credit my success to the teachings of coach Gurvinder Singh, and the contributions of my parents, Malkhan Singh and Neelam Devi.”
17 years later, word kept
Surender recalled: “After touching the kutcha ground of Dronacharya Stadium about 17 years ago, I had resolved to bring an Olympic medal to it. That day has come. The grand welcome reflects the country’s joy of winning a hockey medal after 41 years. I dream of changing its colour to gold in 2024.”
Thanesar MLA Subhash Sudha said: “I will propose chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and sports minister Sandeep Singh to lay an Astroturf at Dronacharya Stadium in order to produce more Surender Palads and give his name to a new golden jubilee stadium on 20 acres at Palwal village.” Surender’s father, Malkhan Singh, said: “My son will work hard to win the gold in the next Olympics. My wife and I brought him up with hardships.”
Kurukshetra DC Mukul Kumar said: “Surender Kumar’s feat will inspire the young generation. He worked hard to keep his spot on the Indian hockey team.”
