On Saturday 20th August, PM Narendra Modi felicitated 24-year-old Sreeja Akula, for winning the Gold medal in the Mixed Doubles Table Tennis event at the Commonwealth Games 2022.
24-year-old Sreeja is part of Dream Sports Foundation's (DSF) elite athlete development program, 'One Dream, One Lakshya'. She won the coveted Gold medal along with Sharath Kamal at the quadrennial event held in Birmingham. They became the 1st Indian pair to win Gold in the Mixed Doubles in the history of Commonwealth Games. Sreeja was among the 31 athletes making their Commonwealth Games debut who went on to win a medal for India.
Sreeja Akula
Courtesy - Dream Sports Foundation
Speaking about being felicitated at the grand event in New Delhi, Sreeja described it as a moment she would never forget. She said, "It was an honor for me to meet with Hon’ble PM Modi and to hear his inspiring words. Being felicitated by him is one moment I will cherish forever. I am grateful for such a warm welcome and it gives me the motivation to continue the hard work."
Dream Sports Foundation's 'One Dream, One Lakshya' program in collaboration with Lakshya Foundation, identifies young Indian athletes showcasing potential and provides them with holistic and comprehensive support for their steady growth. The selected athletes, including Sreeja, are given necessary coaching, competition expenses, monthly stipend, sport-science requirements, and training equipment, along with national and international tournament exposures.
We congratulate the entire Indian contingent on a great showing at CWG and are thrilled that one of our own athletes has brought glory to the nation. Sreeja is an immensely talented, highly dedicated and a determined paddler. We are proud that our program ‘One Dream One Lakshya’ has played a role in Sreeja's win and career trajectory. She is setting a great example for all upcoming athletes. This is just the start of her journey, and we are confident that Sreeja will go on to achieve bigger milestones.Bhavit Sheth, COO & Co-Founder, Dream Sports
Speaking at the felicitation ceremony, Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi said, “The daughters of India, have made us proud! The medals won by all female athletes will inspire girls across India to join mainstream sports."
Sreeja signed on with 'One Dream, One Lakshya' programme in April 2021, with a world ranking of 130. She won various national events and competed at multiple international events, climbing up in World Rankings to No. 77 and became the national champion.
"I am thankful to DSF for all the support they gave me in my journey which allowed me to fulfill my dreams of winning medals for the country at such a big platform. With all the support and constant encouragement being provided to me by DSF and Lakshya, I feel blessed as I can just focus on my sport and my training without worrying about training equipment, medical facilities, and travel issues," Sreeja concluded.
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