In an effort to compete with neighboring Haryana for giving cash prizes to Olympic medalists and participants, the Punjab government announced an increase in cash prizes from Rs 1 crore to Rs 2.51 crore to bronze medalists from the state. The cash reward for Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Neeraj Chopra was increased to Rs 2.51 crore as against Rs 2 crore announced earlier on the same day.
The Punjab government had earlier on Tuesday issued an official statement stating that Olympic medalists and Olympic participants would be given cash prizes worth Rs 15.10 crore.
But soon another statement was issued saying that in the state level function to be held on August 12, cash prizes of Rs 32.67 crore will be given to the players.
Interestingly, Haryana government gives a cash prize of Rs 2.5 crore to Olympic bronze medalists and a revised cash prize of Rs 2.51 crore to Olympic bronze medalist hockey players of Punjab government is more than one lakh from Haryana. Haryana’s cash award of Rs.6 crore for gold medalists and Rs.4 crore for silver medalists is much larger than Rs 2.5 crore for gold medalists from Punjab and Rs 1.5 crore for silver medalists as per the current sports policy. .
Earlier in June, Punjab Sports Minister Rana Gurmeet Sodhi had announced a cash prize of Rs 2.5 crore to the gold medalist, Rs 1.5 crore to the silver medalist and Rs 1 crore to the bronze medalists from the state and said the same. . In the first statement issued by the Punjab government on Tuesday evening.
“The Chief Minister of Punjab has also increased the cash prize money for Olympic medalists with an aim to further promote sports in the state. Gold medalist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who has deep roots in Punjab, will now be awarded an enhanced amount of Rs 2.51 crore as against Rs 2 crore announced earlier. Similarly, the cash awards for 11 players from Punjab, who were part of the bronze medal winning Indian hockey team, have been increased from Rs 1 crore to Rs 2.51 crore each,” Rana Gurmeet Sodhi said in a second official release on Tuesday. said in. .
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