“SARBOTTOM NAGARIK SAMMAN”

Six Sports Stars Honored by Dr. B. C. Roy Engineering College, Durgapur.

Dr. B. C. Roy Engineering College in Durgapur honored six outstanding sportspersons as part of its silver jubilee celebrations. The event, titled "Sarbottom Nagarik Samman" (Best Citizen Award), was held on Friday afternoon at the Dulal Mitra Auditorium on the college campus.

The honorees included Olympic gold medalist and Arjuna Awardee Gurbux Singh, legendary Indian footballer and Arjuna Awardee Subrata Bhattacharya, former captain of the Indian women’s cricket team and Padma Shri, Arjuna Awardee Jhulan Goswami, renowned archer and Arjuna Awardee Dola Banerjee, internationally acclaimed heptathlete and Arjuna Awardee Soma Biswas, and swimmer Sayani Das, who recently completed her sixth channel swim by crossing the Strait of Gibraltar in April 2025 and is on a mission to complete the Seven Seas challenge.

Each of the athletes shared stories of their struggles and victories, inspiring the audience with how they raised India’s name high on the global stage. The event began with the unveiling of a bust of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose near the sports field by Jhulan Goswami with the presence of others 5 sports persons.  This was followed by the main ceremony in the auditorium. The event opened with a welcome speech by Dr. B. C. Roy Engineering College Principal Professor (Dr.) Sanjay S. Pawar.

Dr. B. C. Roy Society's General Secretary Tarun Bhattacharya, Treasurer Jernail Singh, Chief Advisor Prof. (Dr.) Saikat Maitra, and principals of four affiliated colleges, along with other society members, felicitate and presented felicitation certificates to the athletes.

All the honorees emphasized the importance of balancing academics with sports. They encouraged students to pursue physical activities, noting that sports help improve concentration in studies.

Despite facing various societal and familial challenges, each of these athletes shared how their determination and perseverance led them to success. Special wishes were extended to Sayani Das for her courageous swim across treacherous waters, with Jhulan Goswami calling her a source of inspiration. Gurbux Singh emphasized the need for patience and years of effort to win Olympic gold. Subrata Bhattacharya quoted Swami Vivekananda, urging students to play football to build both body and character. Dola Banerjee spoke about how sports teach resilience and coping up with failure. Soma Biswas added, “We’ve succeeded through sports—you can too.”

Sayani Das recounted the moment during her Gibraltar crossing when she faced massive ships, whale and high waves but overcame fear with courage. Her completion time was among the fastest globally—achieved by only 9 people to date.

Each sportsperson thanked the college for the honor and wished that its students would bring more glory to the nation in the future. Tarun Bhattacharya said, “We are proud to honor those who have elevated India’s name globally. Their stories of struggle have moved us deeply. We believe students will carry the lessons from today’s event into their future journeys.”

Thank You