Govt ramps up sports infra, offers hefty cash incentives

The state government has provided employment to 99 sportspersons since the beginning of 2024 under the 3 per cent sports quota reserved for outstanding sportspersons. “The state government has given cash awards worth Rs 17.44 crore to the international athletes who won medals or participated in the Paralympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and World Cup last year,” said a government spokesperson.

The spokesperson further said the government had significantly enhanced the prize money for medal winners in various international competitions. “The prize money for gold medal winners in the Olympics, Winter Olympics and Paralympics has been increased from Rs 3 crore to Rs 5 crore. Silver medal winners now receive Rs 3 crore instead of Rs 2 crore, while bronze medallists receive Rs 2 crore instead of Rs 1 crore,” he said.

The prize money for gold medallists in the Asian Games has been significantly increased from Rs 50 lakh to Rs. 4 crore. Silver medallists now receive Rs 2.5 crore instead of Rs 30 lakh, and bronze medallists receive Rs 1.50 crore instead of Rs 20 lakh.

The players who achieve glory in Commonwealth Games get Rs 3 crore instead of Rs 50 lakh for winning a gold medal, Rs 2 crore instead of Rs 30 lakh for silver medal and Rs 1 crore instead of Rs 20 lakh for bronze medal winners.

Apart from lucrative cash awards, the government has also worked on developing sports infrastructure of international standards. “This initiative aims to encourage the youth to take part in international, national and inter-state competitions,” the spokesperson said. He said the government had allocated approximately Rs 38 crore for the construction and maintenance of grounds and state-of-the-art sports infrastructure in 2023-24 and 2024-25. “This amount was spent on a total of 74 sports projects,” he said. “A sports hostel has been constructed in Duttnagar near Rampur Bushahr in Shimla district at a cost of Rs 9.45 crore to accommodate 50 athletes. A hockey turf has been laid at Majra in Sirmaur district at a cost of over Rs 7.28 crore.”

The spokesperson said to ensure proper nutrition to the athletes, the diet allowance for players has been enhanced, right from the school level. “Various tournaments are being organised in schools to provide students with platforms to showcase their sporting talent. Players participating in competitions outside the state are now entitled to AC three-tier train fare for distances up to 200 km and economy-class airfare for longer journeys,” he said.