Chandigarh, January 14:
Fulfilling the promise of awarding sportspersons of international and national acclaim, who have excelled during the year 2017-18, the Sports Department has decided to honour 90 players in the first phase. Punjab Sports and Youth Services Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi has recently announced to confer upon cash prizes worth crores to such 1135 sportspersons.
Giving details, Rana Sodhi informed that in order to promote sporting activity in the state and honour cash-prizes deprived players, we are initiating this process as per the new sports policy-2018, which were delayed due to the COVID pandemic.
“Under the first phase of distribution of cash awards, out of total 1135 national and international level sportspersons, 90 players will be accorded with cash prizes. Of which, 36 players have played at international level and 54 players are national medalists. They would be bestowed with total cash amount of Rs.1.65 crores in a award ceremony at Chandigarh on January 15”, said the Cabinet Minister, adding the department has enough funds for the distribution of prize money to the beneficiaries.
Rana Sodhi categorically said that the award ceremony would be held strictly complying with the health protocols and the standard operating procedures. He said that further awards function would be conducted in due course, which would be proved beneficial for clinching the medals in Tokyo-2021 Olympics. “Targeting Olympic Podium, we are equipping our players with every sports facility including state of the art stadiums and equipment of world level so that they can compete with their counterpart in an easy way.
The Cabinet Minister said, senior officials of the sports department have been directed that any sportsperson desirous of participating in international level competitions and need financial assistance, could not be left without monetary and logistic support, adding that the department strives to ensure that no talented player is deprived of participating in competitions sans financial support or sports equipments.
