One of India's youngest divers, Palak Sharma from Indore awarded Bal Puraskar 2021

With high aspirations of clinching gold at the Olympics, Palak Sharma from Indore is one of the bright young kids across the country who have been awarded the prestigious Pradhan Mantri Bal Puraskar. Chosen for the award for exceptional achievements under the sports category, the 13-year-old girl is one of the seven recipients in this field.

12 golds and 4 silver at the age of 13!

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A child prodigy, Palak developed deep inclinations towards sports from a young age. She started swimming at the age of 8 and through proper training and practice, she successfully won a gold medal at the 2019 Asian Age Group diving championship. At this young age, the girl has participated in multiple national tournaments adding 12 gold and 4 silver medals to her tally.

Commending the sportsperson, the Prime Minister shared on his Twitter account, "Palak Sharma is India's top-ranked diver. She's made our country proud through her stellar achievements in national and international competitions. Congratulations for the Bal Puraskar. Best wishes for her future endeavours!"

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During the difficult situation of the pandemic, the swimming pools were closed which affected her practice. But when this problem was brought to the notice of the local district collector, he instructed the officials to get a nearby swimming pool opened so that she can restart her training.

32 awardees of the Bal Puraskar on the 72nd Republic Day

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On January 26, 2021, the 72nd Republic Day, 32 youngsters from different states were awarded the Pradhan Mantri Bal Puraskar in recognition of their merit and outstanding accomplishments in a range of fields such as - innovation, scholastics, sports, arts & culture, social service and bravery. The Prime Minister addressed and congratulated the awardees through a video conference and Palak was one of the attendees.