New Delhi: It takes lots of hard work and struggles to keep the dreams alive. This is entirely true for talented pole vaulter Devraj Singh who came to Delhi from Mali Khera—a village in Bhilwara, Rajasthan with a dream of representing India at the Olympics. A poor financial condition was making it tough for him to make ends meet and the job of the security guard was not enough to support his training. Lockdown was a double whammy and all his hopes neared an end until he found a helping hand from M3M Foundation which is now supporting his training under its newly launched ‘Lakshya – Udaan Hauslon Ki’ programme and keeping his Olympics dream alive.
Along with his dreams and passion for the game, he is also carrying the responsibilities of his family. With struggles of staying in the metro, he didn’t get the required support from the sports institutes. However, he did not stop and continued his hard work. Ultimately, his dreams took flight when M3M Foundation identified his talent after coming across his story published by a news agency. The Foundation later contacted him through social media and awarded him its Lakshya scholarship for his excellent performance in the game.
Devraj Singh, excited about getting the scholarship, said, “I want to be a good pole vault player but face many challenges in daily life due to the poor financial condition of my family. With a scholarship from M3M Foundation, I will now focus on sports without any challenge and try to do well. I thank the M3M Foundation for this initiative.”
Devraj Singh was awarded the scholarship by Dr Payal Kanodia, Trustee of M3M Foundation, during a programme organised at Club Elevate, M3M Golf Estate, Gurugram, Haryana. Chief Guest former Indian cricketer – Chetan Sharma, special chief guests Former Indian footballer – Bhaichung Bhutia, Para Olympic medalist – Deepa Malik, Kabaddi player – Anoop Kumar, Kho Kho player – Neeraj and other guests were present in this programme. In this programme, a total of 12 young players from different States of the country were given scholarships.
On this occasion, Dr Payal Kanodia, Trustee, M3M Foundation said, “It is our effort in the field of sports and we want to support the needy players of the country through the Lakshya programme. I wish Devraj Singh all the best for his successful career.”
Dreams of many youths like Devraj have become possible because of the M3M Foundation’s initiative. M3M Foundation will keep working putting efforts into athletes like Devraj, to fulfil their dreams giving them wings to fly high and achieve success in sports.
M3M Foundation is the philanthropic arm of M3M Group; working towards bringing equitable development that helps in attaining a brighter India. The Foundation envisions growth and development for all through support to government initiatives and proactive steps in the developmental regime. The Foundation is determined to bring development across all sections of society by undertaking projects that ensure holistic growth. The Foundation’s prime focus is on health, education, disaster management, and socio-economic development to transform a rural lifestyle.