Sainik School alumnus bags Prez’s gold medal at NDA

In a proud moment for Sainik School Kapurthala, its 2022 batch alumnus Prince Raj was conferred with the President’s Gold Medal during the passing out parade of the National Defence Academy (NDA) at Khadakwasla on Friday. Prince Raj, who hails from Patna in Bihar, studied at Sainik School Kapurthala for seven years from Class VI onwards. A top performer at the NDA, he held the prestigious title of Battalion Cadet Adjutant. Sharing his experiences with The Tribune telephonically after the parade, he said, “When the merit list had been readied, I got to know that I was among the top five cadets. I had done well in academics, drill, sports and games. I had won the inter-academy cross country that was recently organised for NDA, IMA and other academies.” In addition to the President’s Gold Medal, Prince Raj also received the Best Sportsman award on July 26 and the Best All-Round Army Cadet title on May 28. He was also awarded a certificate of proficiency in drill at the academy. Prince Raj is set to join the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, in July for a one-year course. He shared that his parents and two younger brothers were present to watch him receive the medals and witness the parade. “My father is in the Indian Railways and my mother is a housewife. Whatever I am today is because of my parents’ decision to make me join Sainik School. I was barely 12 when I joined the school. The school groomed us thoroughly in every respect including mannerism, sports, behaviour, and daily routine. The environment the school provided was exactly the same as at NDA. I did not have to adjust there in any way. I felt that I was already in their system. Even the culture of promoting participation in sports was exactly the same.” Prince Raj also shared that there were six passouts from his school in his NDA batch, including cadets Abhinav Shahi, Akhil, Savrit Singh, Annu Rana and Abhay Singh Raghav. The school staff, including Principal Group Captain Madhu Senger, have congratulated the cadets — especially Prince Raj — on their achievements.

Jalandhar