City-based judoka to represent country at Asian meet in Lebanon

Sumeer Singh

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 20

Adding another feather to his cap, city-based judo player Harshdeep Singh Brar (20) has been selected to participate in the Junior Asian Judo Championship to be held in Lebanon in May.

He was shortlisted after performing well during the open judo trials being conducted in Jalandhar on April 1.

Brar, who has represented the country at three international events, is leaving no stone unturned to win a medal at the Asian championship. He opted for Judo at the age of 10. His swimming coach asked him to try judo. Since then, he never looked back and won many medals at state and national events.

Brar, a resident of Lal Singh Nagar in Bathinda, is a BA second-year student of Government Rajindra College. He father is a farmer and mother is a housewife.

Earlier, he had represented the country at the World University Games held in Chinese Taipei in November 2017. In 2015, he participated in the Junior Asia Judo Championship held in Thailand where he bagged the fifth position in his weight category (73 kg). In 2014, Brar won a bronze medal in the Asian Cadet Judo Championship held in Chinese Taipei.

Besides, he has been winning a gold medal in the National Junior Judo Championship and Punjab Judo Junior Championship for the past seven years. Now, he participates in the 81-kg weight category.

Brar said, “All my expenses for national as well as international tours are borne by SAI and Judo Federation of India, but there are a few basic things for which I have to spend from my own pocket. The government must pay attention to the diets of players.”

Brar will attend the training camp at Nadiad, Gujarat, from April 21 to May 9 after that he will depart for Lebanon to participate in the Asian Judo Championship.