Chandigarh, Mar 20 (IANS): Punjab Sports Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi on Saturday congratulated discus thrower Kamalpreet Kaur on qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics by achieving a target of 63.50m, breaking a nine-year-old national record.

Sodhi said after Simarjit Kaur Chakar in boxing, Kamalpreet Kaur of Kabarwala village near Malout has brought laurels to Punjab by qualifying for the Olympics.

On the concluding day of the 24th National Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships held at Patiala from March 15 to 19, Kamalpreet Kaur threw the discus to a distance of 65.06m in her first attempt.

She thus became the first Indian thrower to cross the 65m-mark by breaking the national record set nine years ago by Commonwealth Games champion Krishna Poonia, who had achieved a target of 64.76m in 2012.

"I am glad that the daughters of Punjab are shining in the arena of sports. The day is not far when Punjab will regain its No. 1 position in sports," Sodhi said.