By Chetan Sharma

New Delhi, Sep 1 (IANS): After a five-month long wait, Olympic-bound boxer Simranjit Kaur has finally received the promised cash reward of Rs. 5 lakh from the Punjab government for qualifying for the Olympic Games. But the 2018 World Championship bronze medallist is yet to get the job promised by the Chief Minister before she had qualified for the Olympics.

Speaking to IANS, Punjab sports minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi on Tuesday said that he met Simranjit's mother Rajpal Kaur in Ludhiana and handed over the cheque to her.

"I personally met her mother in Ludhiana today, and couldn't get a chance to meet Simranjit since she is currently training in a national camp in Patiala. I will also meet her soon. I have handed over a cheque of Rs 5 lakh to Rajpal Kaur and assured her that Simranjit would get a government job as well," Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi said.

"Simranjit has done a lot for the nation and especially for Punjab. We will provide all the help to her for future events," he added.

Earlier, the 24-year-old boxer had told IANS about her financial problems. "I don't know much about their [government's] criteria. I was promised Rs 5 lakh five months back also but who cares? Whereas TikTok stars got their money from the Punjab government well on time, I was also promised a job in the state government when I met Chief Minister sir in March. Again, who cares?" she had said.

Simranjit, who belongs to Ludhiana's Chakar village, is the sole breadwinner of her family of five, including two younger brothers, elder sister, and her mother. Her father, who worked at a local grocery store, died of a heart attack in July 2018. Since then, the family is entirely dependent on what Simranjit earns from competing in international tournaments.