Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday congratulated ‘golden boy’ Neeraj Chopra for creating a history by winning a silver medal at the World Athletics Championships. “Haryana’s Neeraj Chopra is the pride of the country and has become the first male player from India to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships,” he said, adding that the javelin thrower has once again brought laurels to the country and Haryana.
The Chief Minister spoke to Neeraj’s uncle Bhim Chopra and congratulated him. “Our aim is to make Haryana a sports hub. For this, promising players like Neeraj Chopra will work to inspire the younger generation. It is because of youth like Neeraj Chopra that Haryana's flag is waving high in sports at the world level. Today, we have taken a step forward in the world of sports,” said the Chief Minister.
He said that the state government’s policies and the performance of the players of Haryana are being discussed all over the world. Haryana gives its sportspersons the highest number of awards and facilities in the country for winning medals in Commonwealth, Asiad and Olympics, he added.
Khattar said that the Haryana Government has formulated ‘Haryana Outstanding Sportspersons Rules-2018’ to ensure secure employment for the outstanding sportspersons. For them, 550 new posts have been created in the sports department. Apart from this, 156 sportspersons have been given government jobs till May 7, 2022.
Provision for reservation has been made for sportspersons in direct recruitment to posts from Class I to Class IV. The honorarium of sportspersons, who won Arjuna, Dronacharya, and Dhyan Chand awards, has been increased from Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 per month. Amount of Rs 20,000 per month are being given to Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award winners and Rs 5,000 per month to Bhim Award winners.
“Haryana Government is working continuously for promotion of sports in the State and for all round development of sportspersons. As a result, the sons and daughters of the state making the nation and state proud. In this series, now the Sports and Youth Affairs Department has started 10 day-boarding and eight residential academies to train the players. All the trainees of these academies will be given diet at the rate of Rs 400 per day per player,” he added.
At present, Haryana is the country's sports powerhouse. The performance of our sportspersons in the Olympics and Paralympics-2021 is a living example of how Haryana is emerging as a pioneer for other states in the field of sports. In addition, Haryana recently hosted the Khelo India Youth Games-2021 in which players from Haryana won the maximum number of medals.
Players and coaches from all over the country experienced the sports culture of Haryana closely and learned how the soil of Haryana is spewing gold not only in agriculture but also in sports.
KHANDRA VILLAGE ERUPTS IN JOY AFTER CHOPRA BAGS MEDAL
Khandra village in Panipat district erupted into celebrations on Sunday morning after Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra created history once again by becoming only the second Indian and first male track and field athlete to win a medal at the World Athletics Championship 2022 in Oregon, USA, by clinching silver in the javelin throw final.
Long-jumper Anju Bobby George was the first Indian to win a medal — bronze — at the World Championships in the 2003 edition in Paris.
The 24-year-old Chopra threw his javelin at a distance of 88.13 meter to clinch the silver medal. Neeraj had bagged the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics on August 7 last year with a throw of 86.65m.
The family members and villagers watched Neeraj’s javelin event on a giant TV screen set up on a street. The family members immediately started distributing laddoos after Neeraj bagged the silver medal around 7.15 am.
Neeraj’s mother Saroj Devi, along with other family members, distributed sweets to women at home and celebrated the win with a dance. “It is a very happy moment for us as Neeraj has won the silver at the World Championships just after winning the Olympic gold medal ,” said Saroj Devi.
PUNJAB CM ALSO CONGRATULATES CHOPRA
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday congratulated the Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra for winning the silver medal at the World Championships in the javelin throw final.
“Congratulations to Neeraj Chopra for winning the silver medal in the World Championships…flight is not with wings but with courage…best wishes for the future,” said Mann in a tweet in Punjabi. The 24-year-old Chopra, who had gone into the showpiece as a hot medal favourite, produced a best throw of 88.13metre to finish second.