At 8am, Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport was already buzzing with excitement. Parnaaz Kaur, wearing a custom-made T-shirt with her aunt Amanjot’s photo, held the national flag tightly as she held her father Parminder Singh’s hand. Meanwhile, Amber and Tejas eagerly waited for their aunt Harleen, whose parents had decorated a tractor and an SUV with posters of the Indian team the previous night.
Harleen’s parents, Charanjit Kaur and BS Deol danced to the sound of dhol as neighbors gathered to celebrate. The festivities stopped briefly when a police official informed the crowd that the flight had been delayed due to an air traffic control problem in Delhi.
Among those present at the airport was coach Nagesh Gupta, who first spotted Amanjot’s talent as a schoolgirl in Sector 32. Dronacharya winner Jiwantjot Singh Teja and former world junior boxing champion Mandeep Sandhu were also there, eager to catch a glimpse of the World Cup winners.
“What more can a coach want than to see his ward come back with a World Cup medal. The daughters of Punjab have shown what is possible when opportunity and belief come together,” Sandhu said, as quoted by The Indian Express.
Security personnel led the players to open-top SUVs waiting outside as the crowd’s excitement grew louder. In the second vehicle, Amanjot waved to her carriage and asked him to stand next to her.
“It feels like the whole of Punjab is here. To return home with this medal and in these arms is overwhelming,” Harleen said.
“This medal is as much his as it is mine. Families and coaches are the foundation of our journey,” said Amanjot.
As the celebrations made their way through Mohali, even the traffic staff stopped to film it. At Harleen’s house in Sector 80, neighbors had been waiting for hours. When asked about the turning point of the World Cup final, Harleen mentioned Laura Wolvaardt’s spectacular catch by Amanjot. She also laughed about her widely publicized conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Before returning home, Amanjot visited the hospital to see her grandmother. Upon her return, even the catering staff at the local neighborhood park paused their work to take selfies with the World Cup star.
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