U-18 hockey star from Bihar honoured

Patna: Minister and Bihar Hockey Association president Shrawan Kumar on Tuesday felicitated Bihar goalkeeper Sawan Kumar, who played a key role in India’s gold medal triumph at the Under-18 Asian Hockey Tournament in Japan.

Sports minister Shreyasi Singh received Sawan at Patna airport earlier in the day. India defeated hosts Japan 4-1 in the final on June 6 after overcoming Pakistan 5-3 in the semifinals.

“This is the first time a hockey player from Bihar has won a gold medal in an Under-18 competition,” the minister said while honouring the player.

Sawan thanked the state govt for its support. “I received a lot of support from the Bihar govt. There have been many developments in sports in Bihar and I thank the chief minister for this,” he said.

The minister announced that Sawan would receive a cash reward of around Rs 16 lakh and annual assistance of Rs 20 lakh under a scholarship scheme.

“The efforts being made to promote sports in Bihar are yielding results. Sawan’s victory will inspire other young players in the state to take up hockey,” he said.

Sawan, who began playing hockey in 2018 and made his national debut in 2023, also credited his coach for guiding his preparation and development.