A 10-year-old class 4 girl, who ran from Prayagraj to Lucknow to meet Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath here, on Saturday received his good wishes and encouragement for her dream to become an athlete true.
During the meeting at his official residence, Chief Minister Adityanath also gifted the aspiring athlete, Kajal, a pair of shoes, a tracksuit and a sports kit.
On the occasion, Adityanath also honoured her and inspired her to achieve greater heights in athletics, a government spokesperson said.
Kajal too thanked the chief minister for his gesture, he added.
The spokesperson said Kajal ran over 200 kilometres from Prayagraj to Lucknow and dreams of becoming an athlete.
She is a resident of a locality under the Manda police station area of Prayagraj and is a student of class 4, he added.
After getting the invite, Kajal completed the long journey on April 15 and met Adityanath on Saturday.
Kajal, who started her journey on foot on April 10, before leaving for Lucknow from the Civil Lines in Prayagraj had told PTI that she had participated in the Indira Marathon last year.
But, neither her school nor the district administration appreciated her efforts, she had rued.
Following her participation in the Indira Marathon, she also wrote a letter to the UP chief minister and expressed her desire to meet him.
Babu Banarasi Das Sports Academy, Lucknow also honoured Kajal’s talent and has taken the responsibility of providing her sports kit and shoes throughout her life.
