Chennai: Tamil Nadu Director General of Police C Sylendra Babu handed over cash reward to the parents of state armed reserve police constable Naganathan Pandi who has been selected to represent the country in Tokyo Olympics.
He is the second policeman from the state to represent India in Olympics after sub-inspector P Subramanian who had participated in Moscow Olympics in 1980.
Naganathan belongs to a humble family in Singapuli Patti village in Ramanathapuram district. His father Pandi is a construction labourer and occasional farmer and his mother, Panchavarnam is a homemaker. The athlete worked in the armed reserve wing of the Chennai city police.
Announcing cash prize for the athlete, the senior police officers invited Naganathan's parents- Pandi and Panchavaram to the DCP's office in Chennai and C. Sylendra Babu conveyed his best wishes to them before handing over the special reward to the duo.
Naganathan had trained at the Rajarathinam Stadium in the city during the Covid lockdowns and was placed third in the men's trial with 48.24 seconds. he will take part in the 4x400 men's relay in the Olympics. The gold he won at the All-India Police Duty Meet in 2019 with 46.61 seconds is among the many rewards he earned.