Haryana felicitates Tokyo Olympics medal-winners, participants
PANCHKULA: Known for its brilliant sports policy, the Haryana government felicitated state’s medal-winning players and participants of the Tokyo Olympics with cash awards in Panchkula on Friday.
Total 32 players from state were honoured at the event.
Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar missed the event as his brother passed away in Gurugram on Friday.
In Khattar’s absence, Haryana governor Bandaru Dattatreya distributed cheques amounting over Rs 23 crore to the players along with job offer letters as per the state’s sports policy.
“Despite having just 2% of the country’s population, around 25% participation in the Olympics
2020 was from Haryana. This is a matter of pride. Also, of the seven medal winners in country, Haryana accounts for four (three individual medals and two in hockey),” said Dattatreya.
He gave cheques of Rs 6 crore, Rs 4 crore and Rs 2.5 crore to javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra (gold medallist), wrestlers Ravi Dahiya (silver medallist) and Bajrang Punia (bronze medallist), respectively.
Two players from Indian men’s hockey team, Sumit Kumar and Surender Kumar, received cheques of Rs 2.5 crore each.
The players were also given job offer letters along with an offer to get HSVP plots on concessional rates.
Players who received Rs 15 lakh and job offer letters include wrestlers Seema Bisla, Sonam Malik, Anshu Malik, Vinesh Phogat; shooters Yashaswini Singh Deswal, Sanjeev Rajput, Manu Bhaker, Abhishek Verma; tennis player Sumit Nagal; golfers Diksha Dagar, Manish Kaushik; boxers Amit Panghal, Vikas Krishan; discus thrower Seema Punia; and athletes Sandeep Kumar and Rahul Rohila.
Players who received cheques of Rs 50 lakh for standing fourth in the tournament include wrestler Deepak Punia; hockey players Udita, Sharmila Devi, Savita Punia, Rani Rampal, Nisha, Neha Goyal, Navneet Kaur, Navjot Kaur, Monika Malik; and boxer Pooja Rani.
Deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala, Vidhan Sabha speaker Gian Chand Gupta, cabinet and state ministers, MLAs and MPs also attended the event.
Some players, who could not attend the function due to certain reasons, joined the programme through video conferencing, including Neeraj Chopra. Family members of some players also attended the function on their behalf. Minister of state for sports and youth affairs Sandeep Singh announced setting up of four rehab centres in Haryana, with the first being in Panchkula. Dushyant said efforts are being made to make Haryana a sports hub.
“Five sports centres of excellence (for boxing, hockey, shooting, wrestling and athletics) will be opened in state where free coaching will be provided to talented players,” he said.