Mansukh Mandaviya to unveil Chandigarh Marathon logo, give cash awards to sportsmen on May 31

Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will be handing over the cash awards and unveil the logo of the first Chandigarh Marathon on May 31 at the Punjab Raj Bhavan.

Advertisement

A function for the launch of some other projects will be also held the same day. On May 5, The Tribune had exclusively reported that the UT Sports Department had invited Mandaviya to hand over the cash awards.

The minister, besides handing over the cash awards to international and national sportspersons, will also inaugurate first-ever chess clubs at the Sector 8 and 39 sports complexes besides opening the newly build snooker and billiards centres at the Sector 42 sports complex.

Sources claimed that cash awards totalling nearly Rs 5 crore will be given to national achievers, as per the New Sports Policy, and around Rs 50 lakh to those who have bagged laurels for the city at the international level from 2018 till the formation of the new sports policy in 2023.

“The minister will be here in Chandigarh on May 31 and the department has already started preparing for the function. The recipient of the cash awards have been asked to confirm their presence and the function will be held at the Punjab Raj Bhavan, where the UT Administrator and others will be also present,” confirmed a highly placed source.

The unveiling of Chandigarh Marathon logo is also important as the city is conducting the event for the first time on the lines of Mumbai and Delhi (half) marathons in October. International runners are also expected to be the part of this event, which was earlier scheduled for January in the annual sports calendar 2024-25.The participants will be competing in various categories, including 42.195 km (full marathon), 21 km (half marathon), 10 km and 5 km, and the winners will get cash awards.

The chess clubs have also been introduced for the first time in the history of the department. Thirty-two tables each will be set up at both centres. A state-of-the-art graphics gallery will also be prepared at these two centres to motivate players. The Sector 39 complex houses an indoor swimming pool, while the Sector 8 complex has a swimming centre and badminton coaching facility.