The Manohar Lal Khattar Government in Haryana on Friday felicitated Tokyo Olympic medal winners from the State with cash awards and job letters at a felicitation ceremony held at Panchkula.
Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya along with Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala and Council Ministers honoured the medal winners and participants from the State at Tokyo Olympics.
The State’s golden boy Neeraj Chopra, who brought home a Gold medal ending the country's wait for over a century for an Olympic medal in athletics, could not attend the ceremony due to fever and had joined virtually for a few minutes to thank the State Government for the honour.
Haryana's wrestlers namely Ravi Kumar Dahiya who won a silver medal, Bajrang Punia who won bronze and Indian men's hockey team player Surender Kumar, players from women’s hockey team and other Olympic participants had attended the ceremony.
Out of India’s best-ever Olympic medal haul of seven this time, three individual medal winners and two players in India's men hockey team belonged to Haryana.
Two hockey players from Haryana, Surender Kumar and Sumit Kumar were part of the men's hockey team that clinched the bronze medal at the Olympics after a 41-year-long wait. Nine women from Haryana were part of the Indian women's hockey team that had put in a spirited performance finishing fourth at the Olympics.
Despite having only two percent of the country's population, 30 sportspersons (about 25 percent) from Haryana were part of the biggest ever Indian contingent of 127 at Olympics this time.
On the occasion, Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya distributed cheques amounting to more than Rs 23 crore to the players along with job offer letters to be given to them as per state's sports policy.
Praising Neeraj Chopra, who gave India its National Anthem moment by winning India’s gold medal in track and field games, the Governor said that he has created golden history by winning gold medal. His success story would keep on inspiring young and budding players for years. “Similarly, wrestlers Ravi Dahiya and Bajrang Punia have raised India's flag by winning silver and bronze,” he added.
“A provision has been made to give cash prizes at par with normal sportspersons to Paralympics medal winners and Para sportspersons who have participated in Olympic, Asian, Commonwealth and National sports competitions” he asserted.
Speaking on the occasion, Olympic medal winner Ravi Dahiya and Bajrang Punia thanked the State Government and the people of the state for their support. Bronze medallist Bajrang Punia also appreciated the sports policy of the State Government saying, “Wherever we go in the world, everyone asks us how Haryana is giving such a big amount as a cash reward to its players. I am happy that the State Government is making rehab centres for those players who get injured.”
“Not only this, these several sports academics are being established to ensure that budding players get ample opportunity to nurture their game techniques and make state and county proud by winning a medal,” said Punia.
Under the state's sports policy, the medallists at international sporting events are given high monetary rewards, a job and a plot at concessional rates.
A cash reward of Rs 6 crore is given to a player who wins a gold medal in Olympics, Rs 4 crore to a player who wins a silver medal and Rs 2.5 crore to those who win a bronze medal.
Recently, a cash reward of Rs 50 lakh to sportspersons of the state was also announced for those achieving fourth position in Olympics. Apart from this, each player participating in the Olympic Games is given an incentive amount of Rs 15 lakh including Rs 5 lakh prior to the games for preparations.
5 SPORTS CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE TO BE OPENED, SAYS DY CM
Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala while addressing the gathering said that efforts are being made by the State Government to make Haryana a sports hub. As many as five Sports Centers of excellence will be opened in Haryana. In these Centres free coaching will be provided to the talented players. These Centers will be opened in Boxing, Hockey, Shooting, Wrestling and Athletics, he said.
Dushyant said, “Haryana is the first state in the country, which has made a provision of giving an incentive amount of Rs 5 lakh in advance to the players participating in Olympics and Paralympics for their game preparation.”
“Haryana as a sports hub has always remained on the top of the State Government’s priority list. Even in his budget speech, the Chief Minister while highlighting the need of nurturing the budding players at grassroot levels and further strengthening the sports infrastructures had announced to double the budgetary allocation by allocating a whopping amount of Rs 394 crore,” he said.
“It is because of progressive vision of the Chief Minister that Haryana has become the first state in the country which is giving a cash reward of Rs.50 lakh to those players who stood at fourth place in the games. Not only this today, offer letters are also given to these players,“ said the Deputy Chief Minister.
SPORTSPERSON FELICITATED
The Governor gave cheques worth Rs 6 crore, Rs 4 crore and Rs.2.5 crore to Neeraj Chopra’s uncle Bhim Chopra (present on behalf of Neeraj), Ravi Dahiya and Bajrang Punia respectively, who were present at the ceremony. Two players from the men’s hockey team, Sumit Kumar and Surender Kumar received cheques worth Rs. 2.5 crore each. The players were also given job offer letters along with an offer to get HSVP plots on concessional rates.
The list of the players who received cheques amounting to Rs 50 lakh for finishing fourth in the Olympics included Deepak Punia, Udita, Sharmila Devi, Savita Punia, Rani Rampal, Nisha, Neha Goyal, Navneet Kaur, Navjot Kaur, Monika Malik and Pooja
Rani. The players who have received Rs 15 lakh and job offer letters include Seema Bisla, Sonam Malik, Anshu Malik, Vinesh Phogat, Yashaswini Singh Deswal, Sanjeev Rajput, Manu Bhakar, Abhishek Verma, Sumit Nagal, Diksha Dagar, Manish Kaushik, Amit Panghal, Vikas Krishan, Seema Punia, Sandeep Kumar and Rahul.
