State to award cash prizes to Khelo India Games winners

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 3

The country’s sports powerhouse, Haryana, has pioneered another innovative concept to promote sports at the grassroots level. Under its ‘Catch them young’ policy, the state government has decided to award cash prizes to the winners of Khelo India Games.

The gold medal winners in the Khelo India Games (meaning Play India School Games) will get Rs50,000 while the silver and bronze winners will pocket Rs30,000 and Rs20,000, respectively.

Khelo India Games, which were held for the first time last year, are the national-level multidisciplinary grassroots games for the under-17 schoolchildren to be held annually.

Every year, the best 1,000 children will be given an annual scholarship of Rs5 lakh for eight years to prepare them for the international sporting events.

Haryana was the top team in the 2018 edition, as it had won 102 medals — 38 gold, 26 silver and 38 bronze. Maharashtra (111 medals, including 36 gold) and Delhi (94 medals, including 25 gold) were at the second and third position.

Meanwhile, a notification issued by Ashok Khemka, Principal Secretary (Sports and Youth Affairs), has substantially increased the prize money for the Youth Olympics Games pegging cash prices for gold at Rs1 crore, Rs65 lakh for the silver and Rs40 lakh for the bronze. Besides, the participants will get Rs2.5 lakh each.

The current cash prize is Rs10 lakh, Rs7.5 lakh and Rs5 lakh for gold, silver and bronze medallists, respectively.

In the Youth Commonwealth Games, the prize money for gold, silver and bronze medallists has been increased to Rs25 lakh, Rs12.5 lakh and Rs8 lakh. Earlier, the prize money was Rs5 lakh, Rs3 lakh and Rs2 lakh, respectively, for the three categories.

‘Prize money will boost players' morale’

The introduction of the prize money for Khelo India Game winners will go a long way in boosting the morale of budding players. The increase in the prize money in other categories will encourage Haryana sportspersons to bring laurels for the state and the country. —Anil Vij, Sports and Youth Welfare Minister

CATCH THEM YOUNG

Rs 50,000 Gold medallists
Rs 30,000 Silver medallists
Rs 20,000 Bronze medallists