* Occasion was 7th Boccia National Championship held at the Rajputana Rifles Regimental Centre, Delhi Cantonment
* With dual specialization in Finance and HR, Nikhi Gupta now aims international ‘Gold Medal’ at Paralympics in Paris-2024
* Nearly 70-wheelchair-bound para-athletes from 21 states of the country had participated
* GOC Delhi Area awarded LPU student for his top Boccia skills
Exhibiting exemplary strengths in both academics & sports, specially-abled MBA student Nikhil Gupta of Lovely Professional University (LPU) has once again won ‘Gold Medal’ at 7th National Boccia Championship-2023. It was held at the Rajputana Rifles Regimental Centre, Delhi Cantonment. Nearly 70-wheelchair-bound para-athletes from 21 states of the country had participated. In addition, he also won a bronze medal.
With dual specialization in Finance and HR; Nikhi Gupta now aims for an international ‘Gold Medal’ at Paralympics to be held in Paris in 2024. Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, General Officer Commanding Delhi Area, honoured LPU student for his top Boccia skills.
The event winners will now compete in the Asian Boccia Regional Championship in Hong Kong scheduled in May 2023. The Gold Medallist from Hong Kong event will directly get a berth in the Paris Para Olympics-2024.
LPU Pro Chancellor Mrs Rashmi Mittal congratulated the hardworking student who is continuously setting lessons for even able-bodied persons. Mrs Rashmi Mittal shared: “LPU extends its vast ‘Scholarship Scheme’ to deserving students like Nikhil. It is to cultivate the talent of students that may be hidden due to financial or other constraints. Such assistance can be availed in all the programmes ranging from Diploma to PhD. Mrs Mittal also wished Nikhil brilliant success in all of his future projects be these in academics, sports, research and more.
As a sport, boccia is predominantly played by athletes with cerebral palsy but has now expanded to athletes with other disabilities that affect players’ motor skills. LPU student Nikhil is a 100% physically challenged student; however, he is champion in both academics as well as sports. Earlier, he has also qualified for the National Eligibility Test (NET) for Assistant Professor, which is conducted by apex education body-University Grants Commission of India.
Nikhil also shared his other achievements including 2 Gold Medals at 6th Championship in Punjab; represented India at Para Games in Poland; authored a book; cleared many written exams and interviews like RBI Grade B, EXIM MT, HPCL HR Officer; and many more.
Believing in the saying that “people rise to great heights by a winding staircase of small steps”; Nikhil always excelled in existing circumstances. He shares that physical constraints don’t determine where one can go. Nikhil mentioned that he gained an indomitable spirit at the LPU campus through his university mentors.
The Boccia sport is played with a ball. All athletes are required to be seated when releasing the ball and most play from a wheelchair. Athletes can throw, kick, or even use a ramp to get the ball where they want it to go.
