Panjab University to get MAKA trophy for third time in a row

The Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh, will get the prestigious Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) trophy for the best all-round performance in sports among Indian varsities for the third year in a row.

President Ram Nath Kovind will give the trophy during the national sports award function at the Darbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan on November 13, 2021.

PU claimed the first position on the basis of their performance in year 2020-21. 

With no inter-university competitions held last year due to COVID-19, the PU's performance in the 2020 Khelo India Youth Games held in Guwahati and 2020 Khelo India University Games held in Odisha played a major role in winning the coveted trophy for third time in a row. 

The varsity won the inaugural Khelo India University Games organised by the Union sports ministry in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, in 2020.

Last year’s first runner’s up, Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar, retained their second position, while Punjabi University, Patiala, retained their thrid position. 

Late Parminder Singh, who joined PU as director sports in March 2015 and was on the chair till the time he passed away lasy year in October, and the university's deputy director sports Rakesh Malik played a pivotal role in bringing back the university's lost glory in sports. With their joint efforts, the university was able to win the trophy after a gap of 14 years in 2019. And after a gap of 25 years, the University was again able to won the trophy two-time in a row (2019 & 2020). And now, after almost 50 years, the university is able to win the MAKA trophy for three times in a row. 

Earlier, the PU had won the coveted trophy three times or more in a row, was during the 1968-72, when they won it for five successive years. 

PU has won the MAKA trophy 15 times. GNDU, Amritsar, has won the trophy maximum times 22, while Delhi University won it 14 times and Punjabi University, Patiala, has won it nine times.

The running trophy was instituted in 1956-57 by the Union ministry of education.